Abstract

Background: Hypertension is a common health problem in developed countries. Individuals with systolic blood pressure (BP) between 120 and 139 mmHg or diastolic BP between 80 and 89 mmHg are categorized as prehypertensive. This group is at high risk for developing essential hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.

Aims and Objectives: To observe lipid profile, thyroid profile, and eating behavior in prehypertensive women.

Materials and Methods: Thirty cases of prehypertensive women between the age of 25 and 50 years and 30 age-matched non-prehypertensive women were included in the study after obtaining written informed consent. Thyroid profile, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) were estimated by standard methods. Eating behavior was assessed using eating attitude test-26 (EAT-26). Data were analyzed using SPSS 20.0. Student’s t-test was applied to observe the significance of difference. P < 0.05 was considered significant.

Results: Significantly lower levels (P < 0.001) of HDL, significantly higher (P < 0.001) LDL, very LDL, TG, and TC were observed in prehypertensive women when compared with healthy controls. Thyroid profile and were not significantly different between control and prehypertensive women.

Conclusion: High lipid profile was observed in prehypertensive women when compared with healthy controls. We recommend further detailed studies in this area to understand the underlying mechanisms.

Key words: Prehypertension; Lipid Profile; Thyroid Profile; Women