Background Coincidence of arterial hypertension and other metabolic cardiovascular risk factors increases morbidity and mortality among the human population. Risk factors modification is a basis for both, treatment of arterial hypertension and prevention of its cardiovascular complications.
The aim of the study was to assess the occurrence of the other chosen metabolic risk factors in relation to the presence and stage of the arterial hypertension in the population of the LIPIDOGRAM 2004 study.
Material and methods The investigated group consisted of 17 065 patients (59.2% women; 40.8% men) aged 30-65 years old from the area of all 16 Polish districts. Patients were qualified consecutively for the study in 675 randomly assigned Basic Family Care Units. The cause of the patient’s to the physician appointment was irrelevant. All patients enrolled were assessed weather they have had a history of arterial hypertension and its grade if present and other metabolic disorders such as: overweight or obesity according to BMI (≥ 25 kg/m²), abdominal obesity according to waist circumference (WC; for women > 88 cm, for men > 102 cm); hypercholesterolaemia (TC ≥ 200 mg/dl), hypertriglicerydaemia (TG ≥ 200 mg/dl), above the norm LDL cholesterol level (LDL ≥ 160 mg/dl) or below the norm HDL cholesterol level (HDL ≤ 40 mg/dl).
Results Arterial hypertension was present in case of the 50.9% of the studied population, no relevant differences between the sexes were observed in its prevalence or stage. The occurrences of the examined metabolic risk factors were as follows: overweight or obesity - 74.5%; abdominal obesity - 39.8%; diabetes - 12.1%; hypertriglicerydaemia - 21.5%; hypercholesterolaemia - 69.2%; above the norm LDL cholesterol level - 21.4%; below the norm HDL cholesterol level - 3.6%. There was a positive statistically important correlation between the stage and presence of arterial hypertension and occurrence of diabetes, abdominal obesity, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m², hypertriglicerydaemia and decreased HDL cholesterol level. In women also for the hypercholesterolaemia and increased LDL cholesterol level correlation with prevalence and stage of hypertension was relevant.
Conclusions Arterial hypertension persist to be an important cardiovascular risk factor, third among the studied after the hypercholesterolaemia and being overweight or obese. Most of the assessed metabolic risk factors correlates with the prevalence and gravidity of arterial hypertension. The stated profile of the cardiovascular risk factors and their influence on arterial blood pressure differs between the sexes.