PREVALENCE OF HYPERTENSION, DYSLIPIDEMIA, AND DYSLIPIDEMIC HYPERTENSION

Background. It has been proposed that dyslipidemic hypertension is par t of a distinct metabolic syndrome related to insulin resistance. This paper describes the prevalence and cross-sectional relations of dysli pidemic hypertension in a population-based sample of men and women. Me thods. In two southeastern New England communities, 11,199 randomly se lected participants were evaluated as part of a cross-sectional survei llance program of coronary heart disease risk factors between 1981 and 1990. Results. The frequency of dyslipidemia was 38% and of hypertens ion was 26.5%, the conjoint frequency (dyslipidemic hypertension) was 15.0%, which is 1.49 times the expected value if the two diseases were independent P <.05). Using a discrete multivariate model, dyslipidemi a and hypertension were associated with sex, obesity, and diabetes mel litus. The excess association of dyslipidemic hypertension, compared w ith individual effects of dyslipidemia and hypertension, was not relat ed to these factors. Conclusions. This study suggests that dyslipidemi c hypertension is common but may not be a unique entity associated wit h a distinct metabolic syndrome.