GLUCOSE-TOLERANCE AND BLOOD-PRESSURE IN A POPULATION-BASED COHORT STUDY OF MALES AND FEMALES - THE REYKJAVIK STUDY

Objective: To investigate the relationship between fasting and postpra ndial glucose levels and the risk of hypertension, both cross-sectiona lly in different age and body mass index (BMI) groups, and prospective ly. Design: Long-term prospective health survey in the Reykjavik area, of a targe representative population sample of males and females in v arious age groups, conducted since 1967. Methods: Values from 8285 mal es and 9183 females were included in the cross-sectional analysis. The prospective analysis included 2639 males and 2346 females, with two c onsecutive observations for each individual, with a 3- to 8-year inter val. Results: After controlling for year of examination, age, BMI and various other risk factors, we found a strongly significant relationsh ip between the blood glucose level, both fasting and 90 min after an o ral glucose load, and risk for hypertension. The strength of the corre lation between postprandial glucose value and blood pressure was simil ar in different age and BMI groups, except for in the males, in whom t here was a stronger correlation with diastolic blood pressure with hig her BMI. The 90-min glucose level was also predictive for development of hypertension 3-8 years later. The predictive power was somewhat str onger for females. Fasting glucose level was predictive for hypertensi on only for the females. Concurrent weight gain had a very strong inde pendent explanatory power for development of hypertension. Conclusions : This study confirms the role of metabolic factors in hypertension. T he correlation between impaired glucose tolerance and hypertension was found to be remarkably consistent throughout adult life, for both sex es and all values of BMI. Fasting glucose was predictive of hypertensi on in the females, and blood glucose at 90 min after the glucose-toler ance test was predictive of future development of hypertension in both sexes.