Obesity in indigent elderly rural African women: effects on hypertension, hyperlipidaemia and hyperglycaemia. |
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Authors: | A R Walker B F Walker B Manetsi O Molefe A J Walker H H Vorster |
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Affiliation: | Department of Tropical Pathology, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. |
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Abstract: | To learn more of the sequelae of obesity in South African elderly rural indigent black women (aged 58-85 years), studies were made on 40 women with BMI greater than or equal to 30, and on 50 non-obese women with BMI of 25 or less, all in outward good health. In the two groups, hypertension (greater than or equal to 160/95 mm Hg) was present in 9 and 5 women (22% and 10%), hypercholesterolaemia (greater than or equal to 5.2 mmol/l) in 28 and 26 women (70% and 52%), hypertriglyceridaemia (greater than or equal to 1.8 mmol/l) in 20 and 16 (50% and 32%), and hyperglycaemia (greater than or equal to 6.7 mmol/l) in 8 and 7 women (20% and 14%). Differences between the obese and non-obese attained significance with blood pressure and serum lipids (P less than 0.01), although not with blood glucose. Both groups were habituated to a low fat high fibre diet. In this context, obesity appeared less evocative of adverse sequelae than prevails in a white population. However, for appropriate validation, longitudinal studies are required. |
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