LAUSR

OBJECTIVE To examine the secular trends in the association between obesity and hypertension among American adults between 1999 and 2014. METHODS Data from the 1999-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (eight survey cycles) were used. Obesity was determined from measured body mass index, with hypertension assessed from measured blood pressure and self-reported medication use. Meta-regression was used to examine the linear, quadratic, and cubic trends of the relationship between the observed odds ratio effect sizes (obesity and hypertension) and the NHANES cycles (year) using a random-effects model. RESULTS Across the years of 1999 to 2014, there was a significant, positive linear trend (p = .006) in the association between overweight/obesity and hypertension. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that the association between overweight/obesity and hypertension is becoming stronger over time. Continued surveillance of temporal changes associated with obesity and hypertension is necessary to monitor how such changes may underlie changes in the risk for chronic disease. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY This novel study evaluates whether the magnitude of association between obesity and hypertension has changed over the last 15-years.