Correlation between disorders of lipid metabolism and hypertension in 10,892 participants in the Heureka Study
Kistler, T.; Weisser, B.
Schweizerische Rundschau für Medizin Praxis 82(44): 1222-1233
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 1013-2058 PMID: 8272692 Document Number: 416159
Hypertension and hyperlipidemia belong to the most important and most frequent cardiovascular risk-factors. It is known that hypertensive patients show hypercholesteremia more often than normotonic persons and some of the mechanisms causing this unfavourable combination seem to be disclosed. During the important Swiss research-exhibition Heureka (april to november 1991) in Zürich, blood pressure (BD), pulse, cholesterol and in 822 probands additionally HDL, were investigated in 11,997 volunteers. Cardiovascular risk-factors were registered by means of a questionnaire. 10,892 completed questionnaires (5973 female, 4919 male probands) could be used for this analysis intended to answer the question whether a relation between blood pressure and cholesterol exists. Stratification and multivariate analysis allowed consideration of certain factors that could possibly influence the results (anthropometry, age). A separate multiple linear regression analysis with cholesterol as dependent variable was made for female and male probands respectively whereby regression coefficients for systolic and diastolic blood pressure values remained significant (p < 0.001). In the highest cholesterol-quintile 36.4% hypertensive probands (in the lowest 6%) were found. Distribution of cholesterol was distinctly different in a group with diastolic blood pressure values < 70 mmHg compared to the group with values > 100 mmHg. Higher diastolic pressures were associated with higher cholesterol values even after stratification in age-classes and diastolic pressure classes. These results underline the hypothesis, that cholesterol modifies blood pressure. Thus the relevance of a disturbed lipid metabolism for accompanying hypertension seems to be confirmed and an adapted antihypertensive therapy considering all risk factors is proposed as the most successful strategy.