| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2950600 | Journal of the American College of Cardiology | 2010 | 12 Pages |
ObjectivesWe studied the relationship between changes in body composition and changes in blood pressure levels.BackgroundThe mechanisms underlying the frequently observed progression from pre-hypertension to hypertension are poorly understood.MethodsWe examined 1,145 subjects from a population-based survey at baseline in 1994/1995 and at follow-up in 2004/2005. First, we studied individuals pre-hypertensive at baseline who, during 10 years of follow-up, either had normalized blood pressure (PreNorm, n = 48), persistently had pre-hypertension (PrePre, n = 134), or showed progression to hypertension (PreHyp, n = 183). In parallel, we studied predictors for changes in blood pressure category in individuals hypertensive at baseline (n = 429).ResultsAfter 10 years, the PreHyp group was characterized by a marked increase in body weight (+5.71% [95% confidence interval (CI): 4.60% to 6.83%]) that was largely the result of an increase in fat mass (+17.8% [95% CI: 14.5% to 21.0%]). In the PrePre group, both the increases in body weight (+1.95% [95% CI: 0.68% to 3.22%]) and fat mass (+8.09% [95% CI: 4.42% to 11.7%]) were significantly less pronounced than in the PreHyp group (p < 0.001 for both). The PreNorm group showed no significant change in body weight (−1.55% [95% CI: −3.70% to 0.61%]) and fat mass (+0.20% [95% CI: −6.13% to 6.52%], p < 0.05 for both, vs. the PrePre group).ConclusionsAfter 10 years of follow-up, hypertension developed in 50.1% of individuals with pre-hypertension and only 6.76% went from hypertensive to pre-hypertensive blood pressure levels. An increase in body weight and fat mass was a risk factor for the development of sustained hypertension, whereas a decrease was predictive of a decrease in blood pressure.
