title: Is human cytomegalovirus infection associated with hypertension? The United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2002.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent studies have implicated the human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) as a possible pathogen for causing hypertension. We aimed to study the association between HCMV infection and hypertension in the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed data on 2979 men and 3324 women in the NHANES 1999-2002. We included participants aged 16-49 years who had valid data on HCMV infection and hypertension.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the participants, 54.7% had serologic evidence of HCMV infection and 17.5% had hypertension. There were ethnic differences in the prevalence of HCMV infection (P<0.001) and hypertension (P<0.001). The prevalence of both increased with age (P<0.001). Before adjustment, HCMV seropositivity was significantly associated with hypertension in women (OR=1.63, 95% CI=1.25-2.13, P=0.001) but not in men. After adjustment for race/ethnicity, the association between HCMV seropositivity and hypertension in women remained significant (OR=1.55, 95% CI=1.20-2.02, P=0.002). Further adjustment for body mass index, diabetes status and hypercholesterolemia attenuated the association (OR=1.44, 95% CI=1.10-1.90, P=0.010). However, after adjusting for age, the association was no longer significant (OR=1.24, 95% CI=0.91-1.67, P=0.162).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this nationally representative population-based survey, HCMV seropositivity is associated with hypertension in women in the NHANES population. This association is largely explained by the association of hypertension with age and the increase in past exposure to HCMV with age.
authors: Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, China.
authors: Chao
authors: C
authors: Li
authors: Nithushi R
authors: NR
authors: Samaranayake
authors: Kwok Leung
authors: KL
authors: Ong
authors: Hoi Kin
authors: HK
authors: Wong
authors: Bernard M Y
authors: BM
authors: Cheung
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003587:Cytomegalovirus; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology