A new study found that obesity, overweight and diabetes is linked to increased risk of arterial hypertension, particularly in women and individuals age 30 or older.

Overweight and obesity has been linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease like heart disease and diabetes among others.   Particularly belly fat is a strong predictor of the risk and some researchers view large waist circumference as an independent risk factor.

The current study led by J. B. Barbosa and colleagues from Universidade Federal do Maranhão in São Luís, MA, Brasil and published in the Oct 2008 issue of Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia showed that arterial hypertension was more common among individuals with overweight, obesity and diabetes.

The researchers found people with overweight, obesity or diabetes were 2.09 times, 2.68 times and 1.56 times respectively as likely as those with normal body weight or without diabetes to develop arterial hypertension.

The study included 835 individuals age 18 or older. Arterial pressure, weight, height and waist circumference were measured and risk factors for cardiovascular were assessed.

The researchers concluded "These findings suggest the need to control overweight, obesity and diabetes, especially among women and individuals > 30 years of age in order to reduce the prevalence of arterial hypertension."

Previous studies have shown abdominal obesity may be even more risky. Abdominal fat is a factor not only for increased risk of heart disease and diabetes, but also for premature death, according to a new study of about 360,000 Europeans.

The study authors Tobias Pischon, MD, MPH and colleagues at the Department of Epidemiology, German Institute of Human Nutrition reported their study in the Nov. 12 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine saying that people with the most belly fat were almost twice as likely to die prematurely as people with the least amount.

They found the increased risk was seen even in those who had a large waist circumstance, but no overweight. The finding again suggests that the body mass index may not be an adequate measure for assessing the risk of excess body weight.

The question is, how can we prevent abdominal adipose? Of course, we can eat less and do more physical exercise to make our waists smaller.   But do all the foods we eat have the same effect on accumulation of abdominal adipose or belly fat?   We will report some studies on the issue later.