Obesity is a Key Risk Factor for Hypertension, but Comorbidities Complicate the Relationship

Obesity in and of itself is a key risk factor for developing hypertension, but the more than 200 comorbidities related to obesity can complicate the relationship, according to Jonathan Parker, DO, MS, a family and obesity medicine physician at Avalon Medical Group in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Dr Parker is also the president of the Alabama Obesity Society.

"Obesity is the risk factor itself. The difficulty with saying that, however, is the fact that obesity is linked to 223 comorbidities—which is shocking—so it can be difficult to tease out what is actually happening with our patients," Dr Parker said in a recent interview with Patient Care Online. He explains more in the video that follows.