**4. Discussion**

The main purpose of the study was to determine the relationship of blood pressure, blood glucose with anthropometric parameters among Ellisras children aged 6 to 11 years old and several major findings emerged.

The present study showed that NC is significantly associated with blood glucose, which corroborates the previous findings that increased NC is an emerging risk factor for high blood glucose [12]. However, it is difficult to explain in the present study why only NC was associated with fasting blood glucose, although BMI, WC and WHtR are also anthropometric parameters. One possible explanation for these findings may be that different anthropometric parameters have varied impact on blood glucose. The mechanism linking anthropometric parameters with blood glucose levels is not clear but main schools of thought on the matter suggest different mechanisms. Firstly, in obesity (i.e WHR >0.90 or BMI >30 kg/m2), abundance of circulating fatty acids and liver-derived triglyceride (VLDL) provide an excellent fuel for muscle, decreasing their requirement for glucose [13]. People with obesity tend to be sedentary, and thus muscle consumes less glucose [14]. In obesity, increased delivery of fatty acids to the liver (as in visceral obesity) enhances gluconeogenesis and thus leading to production of glucose [15]. In obesity the increased fatty acid cause insulin resistance directly by activating enzymes that decrease the response to insulin, thereby aggravates the pre-existing insulin resistance which results in elevated blood glucose level and eventually type 2 diabetes mellitus [16].

The study also demonstrated that NC, WC and BMI are significantly associated with blood pressure, which confirms the observations of the previous findings

**115**

*Association of Anthropometric Parameters with Blood Pressure and Blood Glucose…*

around the relationship between mean anthropometric parameters and blood pressure values [4, 7, 17]. However, the precise mechanism by which anthropometric parameters act to increase blood pressure is not fully understood. One possible mechanism is linked to the prognostic importance of visceral adipose tissue assessments by WC rather than general obesity assessments by BMI [18, 19]. Visceral adipose tissue produces angiotensinogen, interleukin-6 and leptin [20]. An imbalance in production of these adipokines, particularly angiotensinogen leads to the activation of the rennin-angiotensin system, causing vasoconstriction and reabsorption of sodium [20]. The constriction of blood vessels increases blood pressure

This study has several limitations. Firstly this is a cross sectional study and does

The study shows that both blood glucose and blood pressure are associated with some anthropometric parameters. These findings suggest that it is crucial to manage and control traditional risk factors in rural South African communities in Ellisras in order to decelerate the increase in obesity, hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus and to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease. The present study highlights the need of incorporating body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), neck circumference (NC) and waist-height ratio (WHtR) while evaluating the associa-

The ELS administrators T.T. Makata, L. Majadibodu, and U.T. Motlogelwa are

not allow establishment of cause-effect relationship, secondly the study model does not provide information regarding the ability of anthropometric parameter to future health outcome, and lastly the study was conducted in rural areas in Ellisras

so the findings might not be generalizable to the overall Ellisras population.

tion of easily accessed anthropometric parameters with CVD risk factors.

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.95938*

**5. Conclusion**

**Acknowledgements**

**Conflict of interest**

greatly acknowledged for coding the ELS data.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

and eventually the development of high blood pressure.

*Association of Anthropometric Parameters with Blood Pressure and Blood Glucose… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.95938*

around the relationship between mean anthropometric parameters and blood pressure values [4, 7, 17]. However, the precise mechanism by which anthropometric parameters act to increase blood pressure is not fully understood. One possible mechanism is linked to the prognostic importance of visceral adipose tissue assessments by WC rather than general obesity assessments by BMI [18, 19]. Visceral adipose tissue produces angiotensinogen, interleukin-6 and leptin [20]. An imbalance in production of these adipokines, particularly angiotensinogen leads to the activation of the rennin-angiotensin system, causing vasoconstriction and reabsorption of sodium [20]. The constriction of blood vessels increases blood pressure and eventually the development of high blood pressure.

This study has several limitations. Firstly this is a cross sectional study and does not allow establishment of cause-effect relationship, secondly the study model does not provide information regarding the ability of anthropometric parameter to future health outcome, and lastly the study was conducted in rural areas in Ellisras so the findings might not be generalizable to the overall Ellisras population.
