Waleed Ali

Background: Obesity is a major health concern that contributes to comorbid conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and it can accelerate the progression of end stage renal disease. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio with microalbuminuria, a marker of renal microvascular damage.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on consecutive normotensive, non-diabetic adults. Participants were divided into two groups: a control group of 50 adults with a BMI of 18–24.9 kg/m² and an overweight/obese group of 100 adults with a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m². Microalbuminuria was defined as a urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) exceeding 30 mg/g of creatinine.Results: Microalbuminuria prevalence was significantly linked to higher waist-to-hip ratio, particularly in males (p < 0.0001) and to a lesser extent in females (p = 0.0224). BMI showed significant correlations with urinary albumin (p = 0.0084) and creatinine (p < 0.0001), and was associated with elevated total cholesterol and triglycerides (p < 0.001).Conclusion: Individuals with higher body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio are more likely to exhibit elevated urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio, indicating a greater risk of renal microvascular dysfunction.

The prevalence of lung and cardiovascular diseases in modern society can be largely attributed to the use of tobacco in cigarettes. Smoking tobacco and hypertension stand as the primary culprits behind preventable deaths globally. Despite a decline in age-adjusted smoking rates, the overall number of tobacco users has risen due to population growth. Efforts to curb tobacco consumption, such as the Great American Smokeout of November 16, 2017, have led to a decrease in tobacco users in the US from 45.1 million in 2005 to 36.5 million in 2017.However, this decline in traditional tobacco use has been accompanied by a surge in the popularity of electronic cigarettes, or "e-cigarettes," raising concerns about their potential health risks. The impact of e-cigarettes on public health hinges on several factors: their influence on initiating tobacco use among young people, aiding cessation among adults, and their inherent toxicity.The transition from traditional cigarettes to e-cigarettes holds promise if it leads to permanent tobacco cessation among adult smokers. However, both vaping and tobacco use can elevate blood pressure and accelerate atherothrombotic processes through various mechanisms, including adverse effects on lipids, thrombosis, inflammation, and endothelial function.The acute effects of tobacco smoking are characterized by an overactive sympathetic nervous system, resulting in increased heart rate, blood pressure, myocardial contractility, and myocardial oxygen consumption. Long-term consequences of tobacco smoking also pose significant health risks.