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Is prehypertension a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases?
Adnan I Qureshi1, M Fareed K Suri, Jawad F Kirmani
1Zeenat Qureshi Stroke Research Center, Department of Neurology and Neurosciences, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, USA. aiqureshi@hotmail.com
Stroke
|August 6, 2005
Summary
Prehypertension increases the risk of heart attack and coronary artery disease, but not stroke. Early identification and intervention for prehypertension may be beneficial.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- The Joint National Committee on High Blood Pressure defined prehypertension as a new blood pressure category.
- Understanding the long-term cardiovascular disease risks associated with prehypertension is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the long-term risk of cardiovascular diseases associated with prehypertension.
- To evaluate the association between prehypertension and specific cardiovascular events.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 5181 adults from the Framingham Study was analyzed.
- Cox proportional hazards analyses assessed the risk of atherothrombotic brain infarction, stroke, myocardial infarction, and coronary artery disease.
- Adjustments were made for age, gender, obesity, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, smoking, and study period.
Main Results:
- Prehypertension was not significantly associated with an increased risk of atherothrombotic brain infarction (ABI).
- Prehypertension was associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI) (RR, 3.5).
- Prehypertension was also associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) (RR, 1.7).
Conclusions:
- Prehypertension is linked to a higher risk of MI and CAD.
- The association between prehypertension and stroke risk was not significant in this study.
- Further research is needed to confirm the benefits of interventions for individuals with prehypertension.