Visceral fat, cardiometabolic risk factors, and nocturnal blood pressure fall in young adults with primary hypertension

: The aims of this study were to assess associations of body fat levels and distribution with metabolic profiles and 24-hour blood pressure in young adults with primary hypertension. Visceral fat (VF) was estimated using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. VF was highly significantly associated with a high frequency of overweight/obesity, impaired fasting glucose, increased levels of triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol, and lowered level of HDL-cholesterol. The value of systolic blood pressure (SBP) nocturnal fall was similar between patients receiving RAAS inhibitors, beta-blockers, and calcium channel blockers. In multiple regression, the VF/weight ratio after adjusting for age, gender, total fat, and chronotherapeutic drug delivery was associated with the percentage SBP nocturnal fall (β = -.3108; 95% CI: -0.5923; -0.0980; P = .013). In males, excess VF increased the odds by 2.3 times for non-dipping blood pressure. Our results suggest that in young adult hypertensives, the VF/weight ratio might be associated with non-dipping blood pressure.