Obesity and hypertension in adolescents and adults with intellectual disability

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the rate of obesity and hypertension in individuals with intellectual disability. Methods: This study was carried out with the adolescents and adults with intellectual disability in three centres, in Izmir, Turkey. The BMI of the adults were classified according to the Turkey Obesity Prevention and Control Program. The BMIs of the adolescents were evaluated according to the BMI percentile curves for Turkish children. For the evaluation of blood pressure levels of adults, the classification system determined by the Turkish Society of Cardiology was used. Blood pressure diagnosis in adolescents is different from that in adults. In terms of age and gender, systolic and diastolic blood pressures lower than the 90th percentile are considered as normal. Results: The mean measurements for adults were as follows: height 166 +/- 0.1 cm, weight 71.7 +/- 1.86 kg, systolic blood pressure 120.8 +/- 1.53 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure 74.8 +/- 1.35 mmHg, and BMI 25.96 +/- 5.98. The mean measurements for adolescents were as follows: BMI 23.02 +/- 6.3 systolic blood pressure 117 +/- 14.3 mmHg and diastolic pressure 70 +/- 13.8 mmHg. 37.3% of adults were of normal weight and 28% were overweight. Analysis of BMI of the adolescents demonstrated that 46.1% were between the 5th and 85th percentiles, 26.3% appeared above the 95th percentile and 18.4% were below the 5th percentile. Of the subjects, 59.8% had an optimal systolic pressure and 77.5% had an optimal diastolic pressure of adults. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that the rate of obesity and hypertension is high in adolescents and adults with intellectual disabilities and therefore, these individuals are at a serious risk of developing cardiovascular disease.