Asian ethnicities and the risk of hypertension at a body mass index below the overweight cut off of 25 kg/m(2)

Problem: There is strong evidence suggesting that Asians are more likely to develop obesity-related co-morbidities before reaching the overweight body mass index (BM1) of 25 kg/m². This article seeks to review the association between hypertension and BMI among different Asian ethnicities compared to non-Hispanic Caucasians at a BMI below 25 kg/m². Methods: Articles were compiled using the Weill Cornell Medical College Library website. A total of seven articles are included in this literature review. Twelve Asian ethnicities were examined. Hypertension-BMI relationships were compared between Asians and non-Hispanic Caucasians. Results: The review article and five out of six original studies concluded that Asians are more likely to develop hypertension at a BMI below 25 kg/m² compared to non-Hispanic Whites. One study revealed that the BMI-hypertension relationship between East Asians below a BMI of 20 kg/m² was not statistically significant. Another study revealed a strong BMI-hypertension relationship among Chinese Asians at lower BMI levels; the same relationship was not found among Filipino Asians. Discussion: The BMI-hypertension relationship among Asians remains unclear, though the majority of studies verify that each Asian ethnic group tends to develop hypertension at a significantly lower BMI than non-Hispanic Caucasians. Redefining the BMI cut-off value based on data from Asians abroad may not be appropriate for Asian immigrants due to environmental differences. More research is necessary to determine whether the hypertension-BMI relationship is significant among Asian immigrants when compared to non-Hispanic Caucasians living in the same geographic area.