Impaired fasting glucose and the risk of hypertension in Japanese men between the 1980s and the 1990s - The Osaka Health Survey

OBJECTIVE - To determine whether impaired fasting glucose (IFG) increased t he risk for hypertension in two large Japanese cohorts during the different time periods. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - We prospectively investigated two Japanese co horts: a 1980s population, comprising 4,130 normotensive and nondiabetic me n aged 35-60 years entered between 1981 and 1983, and a 1990s population, c omprising 4,319 normotensive and nondiabetic men aged 35-60 years entered b etween 1991 and 1992. Data on lifestyle factors were obtained from question naires. IFG was defined as a fasting plasma glucose lever greater than or e qual to 110 and < 126 mg/dl. RESULTS - During the 4-year observation period, 708 cases of hypertension w ere confirmed in the 1980s and 848 cases were confirmed in the 1990s. In bo th the 1980s and 1990s populations, IFG tvas associated with the risk of hy pertension. The frequency of IFG in men in the 1990s group was twice as hig h as that in the 1980s group. The multivariate-adjusted odds ratio (OR) of hypertension was 1.54 (95% CI, 1.01-2.34) for men with IFG in the 1980s pop ulation and 1.73 (1.31-2.29) in the 1990s population, compared with those w ithout IFG in the two populations. In the 1990s population, among lean men with a BMI less than or equal to 23 kg/m(2), men with IFG had a multivariat e-adjusted OR of hypertension of 2.31 (1.46-3.65) compared with those witho ut IFG. CONCLUSIONS - This study demonstrated direct correlation between IFG and hy pertension and greater incidence of this hypertension in the 1990s group th an in the 1980s group.