Study Links Obesity, Hypertension, Depression

New research may have established aconnection between high blood pressureand depression with obesity as animportant link. The study included 1017people participating in the BogalusaHeart Study. The age range was 12 to 62years; 60% were white; 52% werewomen; and most participants wereoverweight but not obese. Of the studyparticipants, about one third were presumedto have depression, while 13.4%had high blood pressure. Researchersfrom the Louisiana State UniversityHealth Science Center asserted that thesymptoms of depression were indirectlyrelated to high blood pressure, with acommon factor being increased bodyweight. The study, which appeared in theAmerican Journal of Hypertension, suggeststhat "special care should be takento address symptoms of depression,"because people who are depressed aremore likely to be overweight. One researchersuggested developing an effectiveweight loss plan followed by ahypertension prevention program.

Ms. Farley is a freelance medicalwriter based in Wakefield, RI.