Blood pressure and rhinitis in adults: results of the MONICA/KORA-study.
OBJECTIVE
A study of 330 adults reported increased systolic blood pressure and higher hypertension prevalence rates in men with rhinitis. The authors replicated this study.


METHODS
This cross-sectional study analysed data on blood pressure, medication and allergic rhinitis.Setting A random population-based sample was selected from the City of Augsburg, Germany.


METHODS
Data from a population-based sample of 2613 subjects (response rate 75%), who participated in the MONICA Augsburg Study (Monitoring of Trends and Determinants of Cardiovascular Diseases) and answered the screening questionnaire of the European Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) in Augsburg, Germany.


METHODS
Rhinitis was assessed by ECRHS screening questionnaire, blood pressure was measured according to the MONICA protocol and subjects were asked about the current use of any high blood pressure medication.


RESULTS
After adjustment for age, body mass index, hypercholesterolemia and smoking, neither average systolic (132.3 versus 132.9 mmHg, P = 0.64) nor diastolic blood pressure (83.8 versus 83.8 mmHg, P = 0.97) was statistically significantly different between men with and without rhinitis. The adjusted prevalence rate of hypertension was also not different between males with and without rhinitis (odds ratio 1.02, 95% confidence interval 0.728-1.436, P = 0.74). In addition, no statistically significant associations between rhinitis and confounder-adjusted blood pressure means or hypertension were seen in women.


CONCLUSIONS
The authors could not confirm the conclusion of the previous study that men with rhinitis need special attention for blood pressure control.
Heinrich
Joachim
J
National Research Center for Environment and Health, GSF-Institute of Epidemiology, PO Box 1129, D-85758 Neuherberg, Germany. joachim.heinrich@gsf.de
Döring
Angela
A
D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires