Body mass index, blood pressure, and serum cholesterol in young Swiss men: an analysis on 56784 army conscripts

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of excess bodyweight and high blood pressure in young Swiss men and to evaluate the associations of these disorders with serum cholesterol in this important population.

The study investigated a large cohort of 56784 Swiss army conscripts aged 18-25 years from 2004 through to 2007.

From the investigated men, 2231 (3.9%) were underweight with a body mass index (BMI) <18.5 kg/m2, 42681 (75.2%) were normal weight (BMI 18.5-24.9 kg/m2), 9562 (16.8%) were overweight (BMI 25.0-29.9 kg/m2), and 1811 (3.2%), 402 (0.7%) and 96 (0.2%) had obesity classes I, II or III, respectively. The prevalence of blood pressure within the hypertensive range significantly increased through these categories of BMI (12.5%, 23.9%, 37.6%, 49.7%, 56.7%, and 54.2%), as did serum levels of cholesterol (3.8 +/- 0.6, 4.0 +/- 0.7, 4.4 +/- 0.8, 4.7 +/- 0.9, 4.7 +/- 0.9, and 4.8 +/- 1.1 mmol/l). Serum cholesterol also increased through categories of blood pressure (4.0 +/- 0.7 mmol/l in normotensive subjects and 4.1 +/- 0.7, 4.2 +/- 0.8, and 4.5 +/- 0.9 in those with blood pressure in the ranges of pre-hypertension, and hypertension stages 1 and 2, respectively); excess body weight and blood pressure in the hypertensive range were associated with serum cholesterol in a mutually independent manner.

Prevalence rates of excess bodyweight and of elevated blood pressure are high in young Swiss men, and these entities are strongly interrelated. Excess body weight and high blood pressure are independently associated with high serum cholesterol in this population. Excess bodyweight and associated risk factors should receive increased attention in young Swiss men.