Generalised and visceral obesity metrics and ankle-brachial systolic blood pressures during pregnancy

Abstract Background Increased body mass index (BMI) (generalised obesity) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) (visceral obesity) are associated differently with brachial and ankle blood pressures in the general population. Ankle blood pressures are associated with blood glucose in pregnancy. This study investigates the relationship between BMI and WHtR with the brachial and ankle blood pressures separately during pregnancy. Methods Pregnant women were recruited during antenatal visits at an antenatal clinic in Bradford Royal Infirmary, UK, and their BMI, waist circumference, systolic, and diastolic blood pressure were clinically measured by staff in the second trimester. Additionally, blood pressure readings from both arms (left and right brachial arteries) and ankles [dorsalis pedis artery (DP) and posterior tibial artery (PT) on both sides] were obtained using Doppler by research staff. Results A total of 179 women participated, with an average BMI of 28.5 Kg/m2 (SD = 4.97) and average WHtR of 0.61 (SD = 0.08). BMI exhibited a positive correlation with all blood pressure measurements (r = 0.165 to 0.419, p < 0.05), while WHtR demonstrated significant correlations only with the right brachial, left PT, systolic and diastolic blood pressures (r: 0.170 to 0.271, p < 0.05). Moreover, BMI significantly associated with all blood pressure measurements in linear regression models, after adjusting for various sociodemographic and other factors, whereas WHtR significantly predicted only right brachial and left PT and some of the other blood pressure measurements. Conclusions BMI, and to a lesser extent WHtR, are associated with both brachial and ankle blood pressure measurements during pregnancy. These findings underscore the importance of recognizing the varying impacts of cardiometabolic risk factors for early detection and management of potential complications in pregnancy and the postpartum period. Key messages • BMI & WHtR are associated differently with brachial and ankle blood pressures in pregnancy. • Further exploration of combined non-invasive measurements like BMI, WHtR, brachial, and ankle blood pressures in early pregnancy for gestational diabetes mellitus and other co-morbidities is needed.