title: Plasma Inflammatory Markers and the Risk of Developing Hypertension in Men.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several cross-sectional, but few prospective, studies suggest that inflammation may be involved in the development of hypertension. We examined markers of inflammation-high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1-and a marker of fibrinolysis, D-dimer, for their associations with incident hypertension in the Physicians' Health Study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Baseline blood values and information on hypertension-related risk factors were collected in 1982. Incident hypertension was defined as self-reported initiation of antihypertensive treatment, systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg, or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg during follow-up. With use of a nested case-control design, 396 cases of incident hypertension and controls free of hypertension were matched 1:1 on age (mean 47.4 years) and follow-up time. In crude matched-pair analyses, the conditional relative risks of hypertension in the second through fourth versus the lowest quartiles for plasma high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were 1.27, 1.73, and 1.81 (Ptrend=0.01); for interleukin-6, 1.22, 1.02, and 1.51 (Ptrend=0.06); for soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, 1.00, 0.80, and 1.26 (Ptrend=0.37); and for D-dimer, 1.61, 1.81, and 1.52 (Ptrend=0.46). Multivariable adjustment attenuated the estimates. The multivariable relative risks of hypertension in the second through fourth compared to the lowest quartiles of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were 1.24, 1.60, and 1.47 (Ptrend=0.20); for interleukin-6, 1.08, 0.92, and 1.36 (Ptrend=0.16); for soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, 0.89, 0.79, and 1.18 (Ptrend=0.55); and for D-dimer, 1.48, 1.68, and 1.38 (Ptrend=0.63).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Elevated plasma inflammatory markers and D-dimer were nonsignificantly associated with a higher risk of hypertension among initially healthy men.
authors.affiliation: Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (H.D.S., M.C.J., L.W., P.M.R., J.E.B., M.G.) Division of Aging, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (H.D.S., J.E.B., M.G.) Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA (H.D.S., J.E.B.).
authors.forename: Howard D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Sesso
authors.affiliation: Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (H.D.S., M.C.J., L.W., P.M.R., J.E.B., M.G.).
authors.forename: Monik C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Jiménez
authors.affiliation: Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (H.D.S., M.C.J., L.W., P.M.R., J.E.B., M.G.).
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (H.D.S., M.C.J., L.W., P.M.R., J.E.B., M.G.).
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Ridker
authors.affiliation: Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (H.D.S., M.C.J., L.W., P.M.R., J.E.B., M.G.) Division of Aging, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (H.D.S., J.E.B., M.G.) Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA (H.D.S., J.E.B.).
authors.forename: Julie E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Buring
authors.affiliation: Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (H.D.S., M.C.J., L.W., P.M.R., J.E.B., M.G.) Division of Aging, Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (H.D.S., J.E.B., M.G.).
authors.forename: J Michael
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gaziano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000032:analysis; D005342:Fibrinolysis; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015994:Incidence; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000097:blood*; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; C573420:ICAM1 protein, human; C508600:IL6 protein, human; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D015850:Interleukin-6; C036309:fibrin fragment D; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D002097:C-Reactive Protein
keywords: blood pressure; hypertension; inflammation; men; prospective studies