CASUAL BLOOD-PRESSURE IN A GENERAL DANISH POPULATION - RELATION TO AGE, SEX, WEIGHT, HEIGHT, DIABETES, SERUM-LIPIDS AND CONSUMPTION OF COFFEE, TOBACCO AND ALCOHOL

A population survey was conducted on 3608 randomly selected Danes aged 30, 40, 50 and 60 years respectively. Of these, 3400 were not in medi cal treatment for arterial hypertension. The following parameters were investigated: sex, age, serum lipid levels (total cholesterol, HDL ch olesterol, triglycerides), presence of diabetes mellitus, height, body mass index (BMI), and average daily consumption of coffee, tobacco an d alcohol. Analysis with multiple linear regression showed that all va riables with the exception of triglycerides, HDL cholesterol and heigh t were significantly associated with systolic blood pressure. Likewise all factors except diabetes, triglycerides and height were significan tly associated with diastolic blood pressure. Further analysis in whic h the effect of each parameter was corrected for by the effects of the remaining variables, demonstrated that apart from age and sex only BM I and high alcohol consumption were positively associated with differe nces in blood pressure greater than a few mmHg. However, the variation in both systolic and diastolic blood pressures was only partly accoun ted for by the parameters studied-in the covariates analysis R(2) for systolic blood pressure was 0.28 and R(2) for diastolic blood pressure was 0.30. In conclusion, this investigation demonstrated that blood p ressure is relatively independent of other factors important in the de velopment of cardiovascular disease. Of the above-mentioned factors wi th some influence on blood pressure only age, BMI and high alcohol con sumption have potential clinical importance.