Anthropometric and dietary determinants of blood pressure in over 7000 Mediterranean women: the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Florence cohort.
BACKGROUND
Anthropometric characteristics and dietary habits are widely recognized to influence blood pressure. We evaluated their role in a large series of Mediterranean adult women.


METHODS
In Florence, in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition, we recruited 10 083 women, aged 35-64 years. Detailed information on diet, lifestyle, physical activity, and medical history were collected. Anthropometric indices and systolic and diastolic blood pressures were measured at recruitment using standardized procedures. Overall, after excluding those women who reported a clinical diagnosis of hypertension and/or an antihypertensive treatment and those without measurements, 7601 women were available for analyses with an average systolic and diastolic blood pressure value of 123.2+/-16.0 and 78.7+/-9.4 mmHg, respectively.


RESULTS
Multivariate regression models showed that body mass index (P<0.0001) and waist circumference (>or=88 cm, P<0.0001), as well as processed meat, potatoes, and wine consumption, were directly associated with both systolic and diastolic values. In contrast, a high consumption of selected foods resulted inversely associated with systolic (total vegetables, yoghurt, and eggs), diastolic (olive oil) or both systolic and diastolic values (leafy vegetables, milk, coffee). Analyses performed on nutrients showed a positive association with alcohol and sodium intake, and an inverse one with potassium and micronutrients derived from fruits and vegetables.


CONCLUSIONS
In this large series of women from Tuscany, Central Italy, we confirm the independent influence of anthropometric characteristics on blood pressure. The role of specific foods and nutrients in modulating blood pressure also emerged, suggesting a central role for lifestyle modifications in blood pressure control.
Molecular and Nutritional Epidemiology Unit, ISPO, Florence, Italy.
Giovanna
G
Masala
Benedetta
B
Bendinelli
Daniele
D
Versari
Calogero
C
Saieva
Marco
M
Ceroti
Federica
F
Santagiuliana
Saverio
S
Caini
Simonetta
S
Salvini
Francesco
F
Sera
Stefano
S
Taddei
Lorenzo
L
Ghiadoni
Domenico
D
Palli
D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D001837:Body Weights and Measures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011446:Prospective Studies