Sex Differences in the Impact of BMI on Length of Hospital Stay in Hypertensive Patients Admitted to a Cardiology Department: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background and purpose: Body mass index (BMI), as a straightforward measure, is widely used in clinical practice, and its results are linked to HT and patient prognosis. This study aimed to ascertain if sex differences exist in the prognostic significance of BMI at the time of admission to the cardiology unit, and how this impacts the LOHS for patients suffering from hypertension.

Patients and methods: A retrospective analysis of the medical records of 486 patients admitted urgently with a diagnosis of HT to the Cardiology Department at University Hospital in Wroclaw (Poland) between January 2017 and June 2021 was conducted.

Results: Women accounted for 53% of the study group and were older than men (64.7±12.8 vs 60.5±11.8, p=0.466). The mean BMI in women was 28.49±5.39 and in men 29.14±4.88. In an unadjusted linear regression model BMI results were not independent predictors of LOHS in either sex. After adjusting the model for comorbidities and blood test results, significant independent predictors of LOHS in women were LDL (B=-0.02, p<0.001), HDL (B=-0.043, p=0.012), TC (B=0.015, p=0.007), and hsCRP (B=0.02, p=0.013), while in men they were LDL (B= -0.026, p<0.001), HDL (B= -0.058, p=0.003), and TC (B=0.022, p=0.002).

Conclusions: The result of BMI assessed at the time of a patient's admission to the cardiology department is not a significant predictor of LOHS in both men and women with hypertension.