DIETARY CALCIUM, ALCOHOL, AND INCIDENCE OF TREATED HYPERTENSION IN THE NHANES-I EPIDEMIOLOGIC FOLLOW-UP-STUDY

Evidence concerning the relation between dietary calcium intake and de velopment of hypertension is inconsistent. Some of this inconsistency may be due to interaction of this relation with other factors, The cur rent study was designed to test for an interaction between alcohol con sumption and the relation of dietary calcium intake to 10-year inciden ce of hypertension in a sample of the US adult population. the Epidemi ologic Follow-up Study (1982-1984) of the First National Health and Nu trition Examination Survey (NHANES I) (1971-1975). Interactive logisti c regression models were estimated with incident hypertension defined as self-reported treatment with antihypertensive medication, After exc lusion of participants with evidence of hypertension at baseline (resu lting n = 6,634), odds ratios for hypertension were estimated for each 1-g/day increase in calcium intake. The relation between dietary calc ium and incident hypertension showed significant interactions with fre quency of alcohol use (odds ratio (OR) = 1,33 for daily drinkers, OR = 0.84 for others; p = 0,005 for difference), age (OR = 0.75 for less t han or equal to 40 years at baseline, OR = 1.00 for >40 years; p = 0.0 04), and body mass index, defined as weight (kg) divided by height (m) squared (OR = 0.82 for less than or equal to 26, OR = 1.01 for >26; p = 0.018). interactions with sex and race (black vs. white) were not s ignificant (p greater than or equal to 0.4). These findings suggest th at a protective effect of foods containing calcium on the risk of deve loping hypertension may vary across levels of alcohol consumption and other risk factors for hypertension.