[Cardiovascular mortality attributable to high blood pressure in Spanish population over 50].
OBJECTIVE
Cardiovascular mortality attributable to high blood pressure in Spain is not available at present.


METHODS
Population attributable risk and number of cardiovascular deaths attributable to high systolic blood pressure (> or = 120 mmHg) were estimated for the Spanish population aged 50-89 years, according to classical formulae. Relative risk data were drawn from the Prospective Studies Collaboration, meta-analysis of 61 studies on blood pressure and mortality, with data on one million subjects (30,000 from South Europe) with no prior vascular disease. Blood pressure prevalence was drawn from 2 nationwide surveys in Spain, for subjects aged 50-59 years and 60-89 years old, respectively. Cardiovascular deaths occurred in Spain were drawn from official statistics (year 2004).


RESULTS
The number of annual cardiovascular deaths attributable to high blood pressure was 44,401, which represents 54% of the carFdiovascular deaths occurred in people over 50 years: 17,312 for ischemic heart disease, 15,599 for stroke, and 11,490 for other cardiovascular diseases. The highest number of attributable deaths lie in hypertension grade 1 and 2 (32,638) and in those over 70 years (36,345). Normal and high-normal blood pressure accounted for 6% of all attributable cardiovascular deaths.


CONCLUSIONS
One in 2 cardiovascular deaths occurred annually in Spanish individuals over 50 years are attributable to high blood pressure, 90% of them are attributable to hypertension.
Graciani
Auxiliadora
A
Departamento de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, España.
Zuluaga-Zuluaga
María Clemencia
MC
Banegas
José R
JR
León-Muñoz
Luz María
LM
de la Cruz
Juan J
JJ
Rodríguez-Artalejo
Fernando
F
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002423:Cause of Death; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology