Dysglycemic states and hypertension: A relationship dependent on low-grade inflammation

Background: Hypertension (HTN) is a prominent cardiovascular risk factor, affecting over 1 billion people worldwide. Identification of closely associated cardiometabolic conditions may be crucial for its early detection. The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with HTN and prehypertension (PHT) in an adult population sample from Maracaibo City, Venezuela. Methods: : A randomized multi-staged sampling cross-sectional study was performed in 2230 individuals from Maracaibo City Metabolic Syndrome Prevalence Study database. PHT and HTN were defined according to JNC-7 criteria. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to assess the main risk factors for each condition. Results: : 52.6% (n=1172) of the subjects were female, the prevalence of HTN was 32% (n=714), while the prevalence of PHT was 31.1% (n=693). The main risk factors for HTN were age ≥60 years (odds ratio [OR]: 40.99; 95%CI: 16.94-99.19; p<0.001) and the local indigenous ethnic group (OR: 3.06; 95%CI: 1.09-8.62; p=0.03). Adjustment for high sensitivity C-reactive protein levels increased the OR of these factors and diminished the impact of other factors. Meanwhile, age ≥60 years (OR: 3.39; 95%CI: 1.41-8.18; p=0.007) and alcohol consumption (OR: 1.49; 95%CI: 1.06-2.00; p=0.02) were the main risk factors for PHT. Conclusion: There are significant differences in the risk factor profiles for HTN and PHT. Additionally, low-grade inflammation appears to link multiple metabolic factors and preexisting vascular characteristics.