Body composition, ethnicity and alcohol consumption as determinants for the development of blood pressure in a birth cohort of young middle-aged men.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the development of blood pressure (BP) determinants over a period of 6 years in a birth cohort of middle-aged Swedish men.


METHODS
Men born 1953 and 1954 living in Helsingborg, Southern Sweden, were surveyed at 37, 40 and 43 years of age. Baseline participation rate was 68% (n = 991). S-Cholesterol, HDL-Cholesterol, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP) and anthropomorphic measurements were collected and a questionnaire covering ethnicity, smoking, leisure time physical activity (LTPA) and alcohol consumption was completed.


RESULTS
At these surveys, SBP means were: 131, 132, 135 mm Hg and DBP were 83, 83 and 85 mm Hg respectively. Body mass index (BMI), waist hip ratio (WHR), S-Cholesterol and alcohol consumption consistently showed cross-sectional positive associations with SBP and DBP. One mmol/L higher S-Cholesterol at baseline predicted an increase in SBP by 1.16 mm Hg (confidence interval, CI: 0.25; 2.07) over 6 years. At age 40, there was a 4.4 mm Hg (p < 0.020) difference in SBP and a 2.64 mm Hg (p < 0.056) difference in DBP means between the low and high alcohol consumption. Corresponding differences at age 43 were SBP 5.28 mm Hg (p < 0.023) and DBP 5.4 mm Hg (p < 0.000). Men born in Sweden had a higher baseline SBP (delta = 4 mm Hg, CI: 2.11; 6.35) and showed a higher 6 year increase in SBP (2.80 mm Hg CI: 0.07; 5.53) than men born abroad.


CONCLUSIONS
Body composition, ethnicity and alcohol consumption are strong determinants for the development of BP. These findings have to be considered in strategies for primary prevention of hypertension in younger middle-aged men.
Department of Community Medicine, Lund University, Malmö University Hospital, Sweden. karin.henriksson@psychepi.lu.se
Karin Maria
KM
Henriksson
Ulf
U
Lindblad
Bo
B
Gullberg
Bo
B
Agren
Peter
P
Nilsson-Ehle
Lennart
L
Råstam
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D000886:Anthropometry; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D015331:Cohort Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
D002784:Cholesterol