Abstract P327: Risk Factors for Prehypertension in the Community

Abstract

Background: Prehypertension is an increasingly highly prevalent condition in the general population, and is associated with an increased risk for coronary heart disease and stroke. However, evidence from population-based studies of the risk factors for prehypertension is scant. We sought to examine the predictors of progression from normotension to prehypertension in a community-based population from Western New York. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal analysis, over six years of follow-up, among 569 men and women (51.8 years, 96% White, 70% female) who were free of prehypertension, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes at the baseline examination, in the Western New York Health Study (WNYHS). Incident prehypertension at follow-up was defined as systolic blood pressure of 120-139 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure of 80-89 mmHg. Results: In bivariate analyses, there were several correlates of incident prehypertension, including age, BMI and waist circumference, impaired fasting glucose (IFG), uric acid, and baseline blood pressure levels. After multivariate adjustment, IFG at baseline odds ratio (OR):1.69, 95%CI:1.06-2.67) and weight gain since age 25 (OR: 1.28, 1.11-1.58 per 10 lb. increase) were the strongest significant predictors of prehypertension at follow-up. Neither waist circumference nor current BMI were predictor variables in models when they were substituted for weight gain. Conclusions: Results from this study suggest early dysregulation of glucose metabolism and weight gain over the lifespan are likely to represent important risk factors for prehypertension in the general population.