Association of conicity index with prehypertension and hypertension: Two-year cross sectional study at rural teaching hospital.

Background: Hypertension is a major public health concern. The objective of this study is to evaluate emergent anthropometric indices as predictors of prehypertension and hypertension. Early identification of risk factors at the level of primary care physician can facilitate prevention and management even during general health check up.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 400 patients (200 prehypertensive, 200 hypertensive). Demographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements (waist circumference, height, weight), and blood pressure were measured in the study. The purpose of this study is to study anthropometric indices and their correlation in obesity with prehypertension and hypertension and to assess obesity based on these indices (weight, height, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist hip ratio, and conicity index) in hypertension and prehypertension and compare.

Results: A cross-sectional study of 400 adults (18-80 years) found Conicity Index positively correlated with systolic (r = 0.73, P < 0.001) and diastolic (r = 0.67, P < 0.001) blood pressure. 71.4% of hypertensive participants had high Conicity Index. Age, gender, and BMI significantly influenced Conicity Index-hypertension relationship. These findings suggest Conicity Index as a useful predictor of hypertension.

Conclusion: The conicity index is a valuable predictor of hypertension in prehypertensive and hypertensive patients. Early identification and intervention can help prevent cardiovascular complications even by primary care physician during health check up.