ABSTRACT

The nutritional status of eighty hypertensive patients was determined using anthropometry. They were divided into two age groups (adult and elderly). The mean body weight and height of female elders (60-80) were 54.1± 14.6 kg and 157.0 ±7.0 cm. They also had 21.7± 4.4, 28.0 ± 6.1 %, 38.6 ± 8.3 kg, 54.7 ± 15.2 kg and 28.1 ± 6.1 kg for BMI, body fat, lean body mass, optimum weight, and body water respectively. Among the male elders, the body weight and height were 61.8 ± 13.5 kg and 9.0 cm. Similarly they had 22.1 ± 4.3, 20.8 ± 5.2 %, 48.4 ± 7.8 kg, 63.5 ± 8.11kg and 34.4 ± 15.11kg for BMI, body fat, lean body mass, optimum body weight and body water respectively. Other parameters include arm circumference, arm muscle diameter and skin fold thickness. The male adult group (30-50 years) they had 63.7 ± 9.4 kg and 170.4 ± 10.1cm for their mean body weight and height respectively. They were taller and heavier than the male elders. Similarly, the female adults (30-59 years) were heavier (70.2 ± 19.0 kg) and taller (160.8 ± 8.4 cm) than the female elders. When compared to WHO standards, 72.2% of the male adults fell within the desirable BMI values. Among the female adults there was high positive correlation between body fat and weight (r 0.927). Lean body mass (LBM) also positively correlated with total skin fold thickness (r = 0.786). Similary results were observed for the male adults between body fat and body weight (r = 0.590) but between LBM and total skin fold thickness correlation was weakly positive (r =0.230). Among, the male and female elders the correlation coefficient were significant when body fat were related to body weight. In all the subjects, BMI was positively and significantly correlated with high blood pressure.