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Hematocrit and risk for hypertension in middle-aged Japanese male office workers
N Nakanishi1, H Yoshida, M Okamoto
1Department of Social and Environmental Medicine, Course of Social Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine F2, Japan.
Insights
Higher hematocrit levels are linked to an increased risk of developing hypertension in middle-aged Japanese men. This study found a dose-dependent relationship between hematocrit and hypertension development over nine years.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Health
- Hematology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Hypertension is a major global health concern.
- Hematocrit, a measure of red blood cell volume, has been investigated for its potential role in cardiovascular disease.
- Understanding risk factors for hypertension is crucial for preventative strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between hematocrit levels and the development of hypertension.
- To determine if this association is dose-dependent.
- To assess the predictive value of hematocrit for incident hypertension in middle-aged men.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study involving 784 hypertension-free Japanese men aged 40-59 years.
- Follow-up over 9 years to monitor hypertension development.
- Statistical analysis including age-adjustment and multivariate controls for risk factors.
Main Results:
- A significant dose-dependent increase in the relative risk of developing hypertension was observed with rising hematocrit levels.
- Even after controlling for other risk factors, the trend between higher hematocrit and definite hypertension remained statistically significant.
- Men with hematocrit levels of 46.4% or higher had approximately double the risk of developing definite hypertension.
Conclusions:
- Hematocrit is closely associated with the development of hypertension in middle-aged Japanese men.
- Elevated hematocrit levels may serve as an independent risk factor for hypertension.
- These findings highlight the importance of monitoring hematocrit in cardiovascular risk assessment.
Abstract:
The association of hematocrit with development of hypertension over 9 years was studied in 784 hypertension-free Japanese men aged 40 to 59 years. The age-adjusted relative risk for hypertension above the borderline level and definite hypertension increased in a dose-dependent manner as hematocrit level increased (P for trend: 0.007 and 0.001, respectively). After controls for other potential factors of hypertension, the test for trend across increasing categories of hematocrit level remained as statistical significance for definite hypertension (P=0.015). The multivariate-adjusted relative risk for definite hypertension compared with less than 43.8% of hematocrit level was 1.29 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.62-2.67] for 43.8 to 45.2% hematocrit level, 1.35 (95% CI: 0.62-2.95) for 45.3 to 46.3% hematocrit level, 1.96 (95% CI: 0.97-3.97) for 46.4 to 48.1% hematocrit level, and 2.06 (95% CI: 1.02-4.15) for 48.2% or more hematocrit level. These results suggest that hematocrit is closely associated with development of hypertension in middle-aged Japanese men.