title: Blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease in Chinese men and women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We examined the relationship between systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) and the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a nationally representative cohort of 169,871 men and women > or = 40 years of age in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on BP and other variables were obtained at a baseline examination in 1991 using standard protocols. Follow-up evaluation was conducted in 1999-2000, with a response rate of 93.4%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After adjustment for age, sex, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, body mass index, education, geographic region, urbanization, and time-dependent history of diabetes, a strong and linear association between both systolic and diastolic BP and incidence of CVD, coronary heart disease and stroke were observed (all P < 0.0001). For example, the relative risks (95% confidence interval (CI)) of CVD incidence were 1.09 (1.00-1.18), 1.25 (1.16-1.35), 1.49 (1.38-1.62), 2.15 (1.99-2.31), 3.01 (2.78-3.27), and 4.16 (3.84-4.51) for those with systolic/diastolic BP of 110-119/75-79, 120-129/80-84, 130-139/85-89, 140-159/90-99, 160-179/100-109, and > or = 180/110 mm Hg compared to those with BP <110/75 mm Hg. Increases in systolic BP were associated with a greater risk of CVD compared to corresponding increases in diastolic BP. The linear trend for increased CVD risk being related to higher BP levels was observed in all subgroups of gender, age, body weight, and cigarette smoking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that there is a strong, linear, and independent relationship between BP levels and the risk of CVD in Chinese adults. Systolic BP is a stronger predictor of CVD risk compared to diastolic BP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Evidence Based Medicine, Cardiovascular Institute and Fu Wai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, and Chinese National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Beijing, China. gudf@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Dongfeng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Tanika N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Xigui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiufang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Jian-Feng
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Ji-Chun
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Paul K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Whelton
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002681:China; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology