Assessment of Four Body Compartment Model and Risk Factors for Hypertension among the Chiru Tribe of Manipur

Background: Optimal health is important for overall well-being and can significantly reduce the risk of chronic disorders and long-term illnesses. The present study aims to examine the distribution of fat, residual, muscle, and skeletal mass among the Chiru tribe of Manipur and assess how these body compartments can predict hypertension risk factors. Materials and Methods: The present study included a cohort of 416 Chiru individuals (209 males and 207 females) aged 20–79 years, residing in the hill districts of Manipur and gave informed consent. Blood pressure, 21 anthropometrics, and lifestyle factors data were collected using standardized methods and the questionnaire. Body composition was assessed using a four-compartments model based on Drinkwater and Ross. Significant t-tests, one-way ANOVAs, Chi-square tests, Pearson correlations, and multivariate logistic regression were employed. Predictive cut-off values were determined using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to enhance accuracy. Results: The findings revealed that female participants had a greater overall fat mass (7.46 ± 2.55 kg) than their male counterparts. Conversely, males exhibited higher levels of residual mass (15.45 ± 2.02 kg), muscle mass (21.44 ± 2.52 kg), skeletal mass (9.94 ± 1.39 kg), as well as elevated systolic (120.90 ± 19.17 mm/Hg) and diastolic blood pressure (77.65 ± 12.15 mm/Hg). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that fat mass (AOR = 1.36, P < 0.001 male) and female gender (AOR = 1.31, P < 0.001 female) were significant risk factors for hypertension across both sexes. ROC curve analysis further indicated that fat mass had the highest effectiveness for predicting hypertension, with Area Under Curve (AUC) values of 0.638 for males and 0.647 for females. Conclusions: The study concluded that fat mass predicts hypertension more precisely than the other three body composition metrics. Conversely, increasing muscle and skeletal mass has been demonstrated to lower hypertension.