[Probability of arterial hypertension from anthropometric measures in adults].

OBJECTIVE To associate anthropometric measures with arterial hypertension and develop a mathematical model to estimate this probability. SUBJECTS AND METHODS A cross-sectional study was carried out with 3,445 adults of both sexes, between 18 and 60 years of age. Body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio (WHR), waist circumference (HC), in addition age and sex were assessed. Blood pressure (BP) was measured and classified according to World Health Organization (WHO) and Brazilian Society of Hypertension (SBH) recommendations, using frequency analyses, correlation and logistic regression between variables, with p < 0.05. RESULTS Males were twice as likely as woman to have hypertension, and for each year of life, the chance of hypertension increased 1.04 times. Odds ratio of hypertension in overweight individual increased two times, and in obese subjects, four times. CONCLUSION Changes in body composition with advancing age, especially in men, were associated with hypertension, and assessment of these changes was relevant in the identification of this disease.