Body composition and blood pressure: which indices of fatness show the strongest correlation?

We studied the strength of association of different indices of body composition with blood pressure (BP) in 430 healthy persons (222 males, 208 females) living in southern Saudi Arabia. The percentage of fat, fat mass (FM), fat mass index (FMI) and body mass index (BMI), but not the fat free mass (FFM) were greater in women than in men. All these indices were significantly correlated with BP except height and triceps fold thickness. However, the highest correlation with BP existed with the body weight, followed by FFM and BMI and the lowest correlation existed with FM and fat free index (FFI). Thus, this study showed that weight-related body composition indices are better correlated with BP than height-related ones. This may be of importance when addressing BP relation with the degree of fatness.

The central effects of a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor (N omega-nitro-L-arginine) on blood pressure and plasma renin

An endothelium-derived relaxing factor has been identified as nitric oxide (NO). Peripheral and central administration of nitric oxide synthase inhibitors result in an increase in renal sympathetic nerve activity and an increase in blood pressure. The goal of our study was to determine if the increase in blood pressure following central NO synthase inhibition with N omega-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) is caused by the release of renin. Six groups of Sprague-Dawley rats were used. Group I (control) received intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) artificial cerebrospinal fluid. Groups II & III received i.c.v. L-NNA, 5 & 15 micrograms/min. respectively. Group IV was treated with intravenous L-NNA, 15 micrograms/min. Group V, after bilateral nephrectomy, received i.c.v. L-NNA, 15 micrograms/min. Group VI received i.c.v. L-arginine, 60 micrograms/min. and i.c.v. L-NNA, 15 micrograms/min., simultaneously. Plasma renin concentration was measured in groups I, III, IV & V. Mean arterial blood pressure was significantly increased in groups II, III & V, i.e., following i.c.v. infusion of L-NNA. The increase in mean arterial blood pressure was significantly greater when the dose was increased from 5 to 15 micrograms/min. and it was eliminated when L-arginine was added to the infusion. The increase in blood pressure was attended by no change in heart rate. While the plasma renin concentration increased significantly in group III, this could not explain the increase in blood pressure since the nephrectomized group (V) showed no increase in renin concentration but an equivalent increase in blood pressure. The results show that acute central administration of a low dose of L-NNA increases blood pressure in rats and this increase can be prevented by central administration of L-arginine. However, intravenous infusion of the same dose (15 micrograms/min.) of L-NNA does not change blood pressure. We conclude that L-NNA acts directly within the central nervous system to increase blood pressure by a renin-independent mechanism. These results imply that central nitric oxide plays an important role in the regulation of blood pressure.