title: A study of the association between epistaxis and the severity of hypertension.
abstract: Hypertension (HTN) has frequently been cited as a general risk factor for epistaxis. However, studies dealing with this association have yielded equivocal results. In this study, a sample of 121 hypertensives (blood pressure > or = 140/90 mmHg) was selected to evaluate the association between the severity of HTN and a previous history of epistaxis. Patients with an average blood pressure > or = 160/100 mmHg were classified as suffering from a more severe form of HTN and were compared with those with a less severe form of the disease (160/100 mm Hg < or = blood pressure > or = 140/90 mm Hg). The frequency of epistaxis did not differ among patients categorized by the severity of HTN. Users of aspirin were found to be twice as likely to have a history of epistaxis. In addition, there was a statistical tendency for an association between a history of epistaxis and the duration of hypertension. We conclude that the severity of HTN and a history of epistaxis were not associated in a cohort of hypertensive patients. The identification of other risk factors for epistaxis, including the duration of HTN, deserves further study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmo-Otorhinolaryngology of Fundacão, Faculdade Federal de Ciêncas Médicas de Porto Alegre (FFFCMPA), Brazil.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Lubianca-Neto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bredemeier
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Carvalhal
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Arruda
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Estrella
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pletsch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gus
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: F D
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Fuchs
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004844:Epistaxis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications*; D015994:Incidence; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution