BLOOD-PRESSURE, CHOLESTEROL, INSULIN, AND FAMILY HISTORY OF HYPERTENSION IN 11,001 PARTICIPANTS OF THE HEUREKA-STUDY

In more than 11,000 visitors of the Swiss research exhibition Heureka, the distribution of different metabolic parameter and arterial blood pressure and their correlation was studied. A significant (p <0.0001) correlation between serum-cholesterol and arterial blood pressure (sys t. r = 0.26, diast. r = 0.25) was found which remained significant aft er correction for age and body-mass-index. The prevalence of hypertens ion increased from 6% in the lowest quintile of the cholesterol distri bution to 36% in the highest quintile. The correlation of insulin and blood pressure supports the concept of the metabolic syndrome. This co rrelation was significant only in the group of subject's with at least one hypertensive parent. The activation of the sympathetic system, wh ich has been postulated to be involved in the insulin-action on blood pressure regulation, could be demonstrated by a correlation of insulin and resting heart rate. Thus, significant correlations between blood pressure and metabolic changes were demonstrated. These correlations s eem to be genetically influenced.