Influence of Weight Reduction on Blood Pressure

Increased body weight is a strong risk factor for hypertension. A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials was performed to estimate the effect of weight reduction on blood pressure overall and in population subgroups. Twenty-five randomized, controlled trials (comprising 34 strata) published between 1966 and 2002 with a total of 4874 participants were included. A random-effects model was used to account for heterogeneity among trials. A net weight reduction of -5.1 kg (95% confidence interval [CI], -6.03 to -4.25) by means of energy restriction, increased physical activity, or both reduced systolic blood pressure by -4.44 mm Hg (95% CI, -5.93 to -2.95) and diastolic blood pressure by -3.57 mm Hg (95% CI,…