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Cardiovascular events in a prehypertensive Chinese population: four-year follow-up study

Shouling Wu1, Zhengrong Huang, Xinchun Yang

  • 1Department of Cardiology, Kailuan Hospital, Hebei United University, Tangshan 063000, China.

International Journal of Cardiology
|July 19, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Prehypertension significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular events, including stroke, in Chinese adults. This finding highlights the importance of managing elevated blood pressure to prevent serious health outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Prehypertension, defined by the JNC 7 criteria, affects a substantial portion of the adult population.
  • Understanding the cardiovascular (CV) risk associated with prehypertension is crucial for preventative strategies.
  • Previous studies have indicated potential CV risks, but specific data in Chinese populations require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the incidence of cardiovascular events in a large cohort of Chinese adults with prehypertension.
  • To compare the occurrence of CV events between individuals with prehypertension and those with ideal blood pressure.
  • To identify independent risk factors for CV events in the prehypertensive group.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective, observational cohort study involving 30,027 prehypertensive and 15,614 ideal blood pressure participants.
  • Follow-up duration ranged from 38 to 53 months, with systematic collection of new CV events.
  • Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were employed to analyze CV event risk factors.

Main Results:

  • The prehypertensive group exhibited higher cumulative incidence rates for total CV events (1.19% vs. 0.67%), cerebral infarct (0.57% vs. 0.27%), and myocardial infarct (0.23% vs. 0.17%) compared to the ideal blood pressure group.
  • After adjusting for traditional CV risk factors, prehypertension remained an independent risk factor, showing relative risks of 1.32 for total CV events and 1.55 for cerebral infarct.
  • The prehypertensive population was characterized by older age, higher male proportion, and elevated levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and BMI.

Conclusions:

  • Prehypertension is confirmed as an independent risk factor for total cardiovascular events and stroke.
  • These findings underscore the clinical significance of prehypertension in risk stratification and management.
  • Early intervention and lifestyle modifications are recommended for individuals with prehypertension to mitigate CV risk.
Abstract

Keywords:
Cardiovascular eventsCohort studyPrehypertensionRisk factors

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