Impact of Dysglycemia, Body Mass Index, and Waist-to-hip Ratio on the Prevalence of Systemic Hypertension in a Lean Chinese Population

The purpose of this study was to explore whether dysglycemia, and/or an increased body mass index, and/or an increased waist/hip ratio increased the risk of hypertension in a lean population of South China. The association among dysglycemia, obesity, and hypertension has been well documented in Western populations. A stratified cluster sampling method was used according to the National Diabetes Mellitus Epidemiology Survey Program in 1998. Blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose, and plasma glucose were measured 2 hours after 75-g oral glucose consumption using the enzymatic method in the morning. Body height, weight, and waist and hip measurements were also collected for the survey. The criteria for the diagnosis of hypertension and diabetes mellitus, including impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), were those published by the World Health Organization in 1999. A total of 11,402 participants were included in the investigation (5,195 men and 6,207 women; age 20 to 74 years). A total of 1,775 cases of hypertension were confirmed in the survey. The prevalence of hypertension was significantly higher in those with diabetes mellitus than in those with a normal blood glucose level, in those with IGT than in those with normal glucose tolerance test findings, and in obese participants than in those with a normal weight (45.5% vs 14.4%, 32.2% vs 14.5%, and 20.6% vs 12.1%, respectively). Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that age and gender-adjusted odds ratio of hypertension was 2.24 (95% confidence interval 1.88 to 2.68) with IGT compared with those without IGT. The odds ratio for hypertension associated with an increased body mass index and waist/hip ratio was 1.19 (95% confidence interval 1.17 to 1.21) and 1.08 (95% confidence interval 1.07 to 1.09), respectively. In conclusion, the data from an epidemiologic study in South China demonstrated that dysglycemia and increased body mass index and/or waist/hip ratio increase the risk of hypertension even in a lean Chinese population.