ANTHROPOMETRIC MEASURES, FITNESS AND HABITUAL PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY IN OFFSPRING OF HYPERTENSIVE PARENTS - DUTCH HYPERTENSION AND OFFSPRING STUDY

As part of the Dutch Hypertension and Offspring Study, subjects with c ontrasting risk for hypertension according to their parental history o f hypertension were compared with respect to anthropometric measures a nd measures of fitness and physical activity. Body height, weight, two skinfolds, and blood pressure at rest were measured. Fitness was eval uated by a maximal exercise test, and habitual physical activity was a ssessed using a questionnaire. No differences were observed in body ma ss index after adjustment for slight differences in age and proportion of men between the groups (difference between groups: 0.74 kg/m(2), 9 5% Cl: -0.30, 1.78). Offspring of hypertensive parents, however, had s ignificantly more central fat (difference between groups: 2.32 mm, 95% CI: 0.18, 4.46). No differences in fitness or physical activity were present between the two groups. The results of this study indicate a p otential role for central fat in the etiology of primary hypertension. Fitness or habitual physical activity are, however, not different bet ween groups of subjects at different risk for future hypertension.