A sibling-pair analysis of fasting lipids and anthropometric measurements and their relationship to hypertension

Fifty non-diabetic, young Chinese hypertensives were compared to their norm otensive siblings with respect to body fat distribution and fasting lipid a nd glucose (FPG) profiles. Sitting BP in hypertensives met conventional hyp ertension criteria after a 4-week washout period on placebo. Hypertensives had greater body mass index (BMI), subscapular skinfold thickness (SFT), wa ist circumference (W), waist-to-height (WHtR) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), p<0.0001 for all. Higher triglycerides (p=0.004) and lower HDL-cholesterol (p=0.015) concentrations were also observed. Weight, W, WHtR and BMI were higher in hypertensives in both male (n=9) and female gender-concordant sib ling pairs (n=21). Higher WHR hip circumference and subscapular SFT,were on ly seen in the male hypertensives. Hypertension is associated with central adiposity and adverse lipid profiles in this group of young hypertensives, supporting the hypothesis that obesity, particularly central, is closely as sociated with hypertension in Chinese as in other ethnic groups.