Joint associations of physical activity and body mass index on the prevalence of hypertension among a nationally representative sample of 1.9 million U.S. adults: A cross-sectional study

A high body mass and low levels of PA were associated with a substantially increased prevalence of hypertension. Being highly active was associated with minor differences in the prevalence of hypertension for individuals who were living with obesity; however, this association was not observed among those who were living with normal weight or overweight. Due to likely bias in this cross-sectional study, findings regarding PA should be replicated in longitudinal studies with objective measures. These findings nonetheless highlight the public health relevance of maintaining a healthy body weight in relation to hypertension prevalence and the importance of PA for weight loss and management.