title: Association between Hypertension and the Prevalence of Low Back Pain and Osteoarthritis in Koreans: A Cross-Sectional Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hypertension and musculoskeletal disorders are highly prevalent in adult populations. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between hypertension and prevalence of low back pain (LBP) and osteoarthritis in Koreans.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total 17,128 participants (age ≥20 years) who answered low back pain and osteoarthritis items in the 4th Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007-2009) were analyzed. Odds ratios were calculated using logistic regression and were adjusted for age, sex, income level, education, occupation, BMI, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and physical activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lifetime prevalence of LBP in hypertensive subjects was 34.4%, and that of osteoarthritis 26.2%. LBP prevalence was significantly lower in hypertensives (fully adjusted OR 0.79; 95% CI 0.70-0.90), and both LBP and osteoarthritis prevalence was significantly lower in participants with systolic blood pressure ≥140mmHg than those with <120mmHg (fully adjusted OR 0.81; 95% CI 0.70-0.94, and 0.81; 95% CI 0.68-0.96, respectively). Prevalence of LBP in subjects with diastolic blood pressure ≥90mmHg was also significantly lower than those with <80mmHg (fully adjusted OR 0.73; 95% CI 0.63-0.85). LBP and osteoarthritis prevalence did not differ by systolic or diastolic blood pressure interval in respondents taking antihypertensive medication. LBP and osteoarthritis prevalence increased with longer hypertension duration (fully adjusted p for trend 0.028, and 0.0008, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypertension showed an inverse relationship with LBP and osteoarthritis prevalence, which may be ascribed to hypertension-associated hypalgesia, and antihypertensive medication intake and longer hypertension duration attenuated this association.
authors.affiliation: Jaseng Spine and Joint Research Institute, Jaseng Medical Foundation, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Hyeon
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.affiliation: Jaseng Spine and Joint Research Institute, Jaseng Medical Foundation, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Joon-Shik
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Jaseng Spine and Joint Research Institute, Jaseng Medical Foundation, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jinho
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Jaseng Spine and Joint Research Institute, Jaseng Medical Foundation, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Me-riong
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Jaseng Spine and Joint Research Institute, Jaseng Medical Foundation, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Ki Byung
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Korean Rehabilitation Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jae-Heung
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Jaseng Spine and Joint Research Institute, Jaseng Medical Foundation, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: In-Hyuk
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Ha
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology