Obese Women are at a Higher risk of Developing Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease: Study Finds - Video

Obesity is a widespread public health challenge in the Middle East, maintaining prevalence in 54.2% of women and 31.4% of men in this region. Overweight and obese women have a higher risk of hypertension and cardiovascular risk factors than women with a standard BMI, according to an analysis of the ANCORS-YW STUDY presented at ACC Middle East 2024. The findings highlight the urgent need for targeted interventions that address socioeconomic determinants of health to reduce the cardiovascular risk burden in young Middle Eastern women.

“Young Middle Eastern women who are obese or overweight are facing a higher risk for the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and its associated risk factors like hypertension and Type Two diabetes,” said Mohammad Adnan Bani Baker, MD, a medical doctor at Prince Hamza Hospital in Amman, Jordan.

The researchers used data from the ANCORS-YW study to assess the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors associated with being overweight among young Middle Eastern women. The study had a total of 626 participants, with ages ranging from 18 years to 50 years old. The average age of the participants was approximately 42.9 years old. Participants were evaluated by health professionals, medical residents and medical students. Focusing on this demographic allowed the authors to better understand the early onset of cardiovascular risk factors associated with obesity in this life stage.

The results showed that overweight and obese women had a higher prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypertensive disease of pregnancy and persistent weight gain after pregnancy. The study also found overweight and obese women were more likely to be older and have a low level of education.

To reduce the cardiovascular risk burden in this population, Bani Baker recommended a multi-disciplinary intervention that includes lifestyle modification programs, public health campaigns, educational programs and socioeconomic support.

Reference: Bagheri M; Najafipour H; Saberi S; Farokhi MS; Amirzadeh R; Mirzazadeh A. Epidemiological update on prevalence and incidence of overweight and obesity in adults in Southeastern Iran: findings from KERCADRS. East Mediterr Health J. 2021;xx(x):xxx-xxx https://doi.org/10.26719/emhj.21.035