High blood pressure and obesity
When doctors measure your blood pressure, they describe it using two numbers. If the first number is above 140 or the second number is above 90, your blood pressure is too high.
Doctors sometimes call this condition hypertension. It can lead to heart disease, heart failure, kidney disease or a stroke.
To find out more, see our articles on high blood pressure.
There is a link between obesity and high blood pressure.1 2
- People who are obese are twice as likely to have high blood pressure than people who are at a healthy weight.3
- If you lose weight, your blood pressure will usually drop. See Losing weight in our section on high blood pressure.
- Doctors aren't sure why obesity causes high blood pressure.4
Sources for the information on this page:
- Gumbiner B (editor). Obesity. 3rd edition. American College of Physicians, Philadelphia, U.S.A.; 2001.
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and the North American Association for the Study of Obesity. The practical guide: identification, evaluation and treatment of overweight and obesity in adults. October 2000. Available at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/prctgd_c.pdf (accessed on 10 April 2008).
- Surgeon General. Epidemiology of mental illness. Available at http://www.surgeongeneral.gov (accessed on 10 April 2008).
- Fairburn CG, Brownell KD. Eating disorders and obesity: a comprehensive handbook. 2nd edition. Psychology Press, London, UK; 2002.
This information was last updated in Oct 27, 2008
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This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved. |
