Large thighs may signal lower hypertension risk in obesity
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
A larger thigh circumference may be associated with lower blood pressure and a reduced risk for developing cardiovascular disease among people with overweight or obesity, according to findings published in Endocrine Connections.
“In contrast to stomach fat, leg fat may be beneficial for metabolism,” Zhen Yang, MD, PhD, of the department of endocrinology at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, China, said in a press release. “The most likely cause of this association is that there is more thigh muscle and/or fat deposited under the skin, which secretes various beneficial substances that help keep blood pressure in a relatively stable range.”
Yang and colleagues analyzed data from 9,520 Chinese adults aged at least 40 years with an available thigh circumference and BP measurement who participated in the REACTION study, a longitudinal, community-based study that took place between 2011 and 2012 (6,425 women). The measurement of thigh circumference (average value of left and right thighs) was performed directly below the gluteal fold of the thigh; large thigh circumference was defined as more than 55 cm for men and more than 54 cm for women. Hypertension was defined as a systolic BP of at least 140 mm Hg and a diastolic BP of at least 90 mm Hg, or the current use of hypertension medications. Researchers used logistic regression analysis to assess the association between thigh circumference and hypertension.
Within the cohort, 5,348 adults had overweight or obesity and 4,172 had normal weight. Mean thigh circumference was 53.3 cm for men and 52.6 cm for women.
Compared with normotensive adults, mean thigh circumference was lower among adults with hypertension and normal weight (mean, 51.2 cm vs. 50.9 cm; P = .011), adults with hypertension and overweight (mean, 53.9 cm vs. 53.3 cm; P < .001), and adults with hypertension and obesity (mean, 56.6 cm vs. 55.4 cm; P < .001).
In analyses stratified by sex and by thigh circumference tertiles (in men: 51.2 cm, 51.2-55.3 cm and 55.3 cm; in women: 50.7 cm; 50.7-54.4 cm and 54.4 cm), the prevalence of hypertension gradually decreased among men and women with overweight and obesity. In logistic regression analyses using the lowest thigh circumference tertile as a reference, ORs for hypertension decreased across increasing tertiles. After adjustment for age, sex, smoking and alcohol consumption, education, physical activity, C-reactive protein and adiponectin, along with further adjustment for BMI and waist circumference, the OR for hypertension was 0.68 (95% CI, 0.59-0.79) for adults with overweight in the highest tertile of thigh circumference and 0.51 (95% CI, 0.38-0.7) for adults with obesity in the highest thigh circumference tertile.
The researchers noted that, due to the limitations of epidemiological screening conditions, they were unable to quantify thigh muscle mass, intermuscular adipose tissue and subcutaneous fat accumulation by more accurate measures, and that the findings may not be applicable to non-Asian adults. – by Regina Schaffer
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
Read more about
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts