Long-term follow-up in japanese public office workers of the influence of blood pressure on ECG changes.
BACKGROUND
The relationship between annual changes in blood pressure (BP) and the electrocardiogram (ECG) was studied to clarity what factors give early detection of complications and predict the outcome of therapy.


RESULTS
The influence of BP on the ECG was assessed in 830 Japanese office workers. Those with hypertension (HT) more frequently developed left atrial and ventricular overload compared with normotensive subjects. In addition, those with borderline HT (systolic pressure 140-160 mmHg and/or diastolic pressure 90-95 mmHg) and even those with lower blood pressure (systolic pressure 130-140 mmHg and/or diastolic pressure 85-90 mmHg) developed left atrial and ventricular overload more frequently than normotensive subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
Based on these results, BP should be closely followed up when routine systolic and diastolic pressure levels exceed 130 mmHg and 85 mmHg, respectively, in persons in their 40 s to 50 s and the goal of antihypertensive therapy should be lower than reported previously.
Nakayasu
Kimiko
K
Faculty of Integrated Arts and Science, School of Medicine, University of Tokushima, Japan.
Nakaya
Yutaka
Y
Oki
Yuko
Y
Nomura
Masahiro
M
Ito
Susumu
S
D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001835:Body Weight; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan; D008875:Middle Aged; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018754:Ventricular Dysfunction / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D017132:Workplace