Effects of body mass index on propofol-induced cardiovascular depression in the Pakistani population

Objective: To determine the relationship between the patient’s Body Mass Index (BMI) and the cardiovascular effects produced by propofol at a dose of 1.5 mg/kg in the Pakistani population.

Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi from August 2021 to January 2022. According to their BMI, one hundred twenty Pakistani individuals 18 to 60 years of age were equally divided into three groups. Group N (n = 40) with a BMI of 18 to 24.9, group OW (n=40) with a BMI of 25 to 29.5, and group O (n=40) with a BMI of 30 to 34.9 were randomized to receive propofol injections at a 1.5 mg/kg dose for induction of anesthesia. We measured mean blood pressure before the propofol and then at one, three, and ten minutes after the injection. Data were analyzed by using SPSS 22.

Results: Mean blood pressure decreases significantly in all groups, as shown by p-values of <0.001 for the first two readings. In group N, blood pressure returned to near normal within ten minutes (p-value 0.061), but in groups, OW and O, mean blood pressure was significantly lower even after ten minutes (p-values 0.005 and 0.001, respectively). Individual variations in propofol response were also observed.

Conclusion: In the Pakistani population, propofol at an induction dose of 1.5 mg/kg to patients with different body weights produces cardiovascular effects with marked standard deviations in each group, which indicate different individual responses.