Prevalence and risk factors of prehypertension among Chinese adults

We aimed to estimate the prevalence of prehypertension and to identify its risk factors among Chinese adults.

A cross-sectional survey in a nationally representative sample of 15,540 Chinese adults aged 35 to 74 years was conducted during 2000 and 2001. Body weight, height, waist circumference, and blood pressure were measured by trained observers.

Overall, 21.9% of Chinese adults had prehypertension. The prevalences were 25.7% and 18.0% in men and in women, respectively. The prevalences of prehypertension were higher among residents in northern China compared with their counterparts in southern China. The prehypertensive group had higher levels of blood glucose, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides, higher body mass index, and lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol than did the normotensive group. Of note, prehypertension was high among men and women who were overweight, as well as with central obesity (38.4% and 27.8%, respectively, for overweight and 37.8% and 25.9%, respectively, for central obesity). Multivariate analysis revealed that increased body mass index, waist circumference, and rural and northern residence were associated with prehypertension. High odds ratios of prehypertension were found in overweight and central obese adults.

The fact that a large proportion of Chinese adults have prehypertension, a major precursor of hypertension, warrants more efforts to implement national programs of prevention and control of hypertension and excessive weight, especially in rural and northern China, to reduce the societal burden of hypertension in China.