Association Of Calf Circumference With Blood Pressure And Heart Rate

Calf circumference (CC) is an easy, attainable measurement that has been found to be a good tool for predicting a multitude of factors among older individuals. PURPOSE: To determine if there is an association of calf circumference, heart rate (HR), and blood pressure (BP) among a variety of fitness and health levels in men aged 35-75. METHODS: Participants were recruited from both the Forest Grove community (n = 10) and PeaceHealth’s cardiac rehabilitation program in Springfield, OR (n = 10). All participants were seated while CC was recorded with a tape measure and BP and HR were recorded with a cuff. Data were analyzed using JMP version 4 and a Pearson Product Moment correlation was used to analyze the sample sizes. RESULTS: CC showed a moderate positive correlation with diastolic BP and no significant difference, r = 0.340, p = .142. No significant difference was found between CC and systolic BP as well as a negative weak correlation, r = -0.208, p = 0.377. No correlation was found between CC and HR, r = 0.088, p = 0.714. CC showed a weak positive correlation with cardiac events and no significant difference, r = 0.191, p = 0.421. All other data showed no significance and a weak correlation. CONCLUSION: These results indicate CC has little to no association with HR and BP in men aged 35-75 years of age who are healthy, as well as those who have a history of heart disease. CC has the most significant correlation with diastolic blood pressure. A moderate, positive correlation could indicate that CC may be a way to predict elevated diastolic BP and/or hypertension. The findings provide a starting point for further analysis. Additional factors and more advanced statistical models are needed to gain deeper insights.