%0 Journal Article
%T Relationship between Body Mass Index, Blood Pressure, and Visual Acuity in Residents of Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria
%A I. O. Ernest-Nwoke
%A M. O. Ozor
%A U. Akpamu
%A M. O. Oyakhire
%J Physiology Journal
%D 2014
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2014/510460
%X Aim. To study the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure (BP) on visual acuity among apparently healthy residents of Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. Methodology. This is a cross-sectional descriptive study among 225 subjects (ages of 18每35 years) from whom BP, body weight, and height were collected. Visual acuity was measured using the Snellen chart following standard procedures of number of letters seen at 6-metre distance. The data were then analyzed using SPSS version 17. Results. The sampled population consists of 112 male and 113 female (mean age years). Majority (180) of the respondents had normal visual acuity. However, compared with the respondents with normal BMI ( ; ), visual acuity of underweight ( ; ) and obese ( ; ) were more deviated. Similarly, compared with respondent with normal BP (120每125/80每85ˋmmHg; ; ), hypotensive ( ; ), and hypertensive ( ; ) respondents had deviated visual acuity. Conclusion. Abnormal body weight (underweight and obese) and BP (hypotension and hypertension) have potential negative impacts on visual acuity. Based on the observed relationship between weights, BP, and visual acuity, eye examinations can be included as regular screening exercise for abnormal BMI and BP conditions. 1. Background Obesity is a major public health problem with prevalence increasing at overwhelming rates [1每4]. It is implicated as a risk factor for several systemic diseases such as coronary heart disease [5], type 2 diabetes mellitus [6], hypertension, stroke, dyslipidemia, osteoarthritis, and sleep apnea [3, 7, 8]. Similarly, the global prevalence of hypertension is on the increase. In fact, a recent community based study of rural and semiurban population puts the prevalence of hypertension in Nigeria at 32.8% [9]. It is associated with serious end-organ damage such as heart disease, stroke, renal disease, and blindness [10每12], which can be prevented by adequate blood pressure control [13, 14]. Obesity has been reported to affect visual acuity negatively [15] but the ocular conditions underlying this association and the potential implications are unclear. Similarly, hypertension has been reported as a cause of blurred and altered vision [16每18]. In fact, in preeclampsia, a hypertensive emergency, vision loss is one serious complication according to O＊Brien et al. [19] and Gibson [20]. According to several studies, visual impairment adds to the burden of several microvascular and macrovascular complications in people with diabetes and compromises quality of life [21每25]. Worrisome is
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/physiology/2014/510460/