Meta-analysis of hypertension as a risk factor of cerebrovascular disorders in Koreans

This study was conducted to integrate the results of previous studies which evaluated hypertension as a risk factor for cerebrovascular disorders (CVD ) in Koreans. We retrieved the Korean literature using a manual search and the English literature using the MEDLINE database concerning the relationsh ip between hypertension and CVD in Koreans from 1980 to 1997. The overall e ffect size of hypertension as a risk factor of CVD was represented by commo n odds ratio (OR). Before the integration of each effect size, a heterogene ity test and a sensitivity test was conducted. The materials were nine publ ished epidemiologic studies with a total of 2,271 cases of CVD. The common ORs (95% confidence interval) of overall CVD, hemorrhagic CVD and ischemic CVD associated with hypertension were 4.10 (3.56-4.71), 6.56 (4.92-8.80) an d 3.28 (2.77-3.90), respectively. Thus, the common OR of hemorrhagic CVD as sociated with hypertension was significantly higher than that of overall or ischemic CVD. This suggests that hypertension is an important risk factor for overall CVD and its subtypes in Koreans. Due to the lack of reliable pr ospective studies, however, longitudinal study is required in this area.