Blood pressure, smoking and body mass in relation to mortality from stroke and coronary heart disease in the elderly. A 10-year follow-up in Norway.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between blood pressure, smoking and body mass index (BMI) and cerebro- and cardiovascular mortality in a population of healthy elderly.


METHODS
Ten-year mortality follow-up of elderly men and women who participated in the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study 1984-86.


METHODS
Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway.


METHODS
3121 men and 3271 women aged 70 years and older, free from any diagnosed atherosclerotic diseases or diabetes at baseline.


METHODS
Relative risk of cerebro- and cardiovascular mortality and all-cause mortality according to blood pressure, smoking and BMI.


RESULTS
There was a consistent, positive association between systolic and diastolic blood pressure and cerebro- and cardiovascular mortality. The association persisted after adjustment for potential confounding factors, and was strongest for cerebrovascular mortality; the adjusted relative risks for systolic blood pressure categories 160-179 mmHg and > or = 180 mmHg in men were 1.63 (95% confidence interval, CI 1.06-2.53) and 2.19 (95% CI 1.39-3.44) compared to blood pressure < 140 mmHg. In women, the corresponding relative risks were 1.54 (95% CI 0.93-2.56) and 2.12 (95% CI 1.29-3.50). For diastolic blood pressure the adjusted relative risks in categories 100-109 and > or = 110 mmHg in men were 1.88 (95% CI 1.19-2.95) and 3.06 (95% CI 1.79-5.21) compared to pressure <90 mmHg. The corresponding relative risks in women were 1.75 (95% CI 1.05-2.91) and 2.02 (95% CI 1.04-3.93). Current smoking increased cardiovascular mortality in both men and women, and among women, BMI was negatively associated with all-cause mortality.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings add to the growing evidence that hypertension is a major risk factor for mortality from stroke and coronary heart disease among the elderly and the very old.
Ellekjaer
H
H
HUNT Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Verdal. verdalfh@online.no
Holmen
J
J
Vatten
L
L
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality*