Community-based epidemiological study on hypertension in pu-li, taiwan

A community-based study was carried out by the Yang-Ming Crusade in 1987-1988 in Pu-Li Town, Taiwan. We interviewed 1738 out of 2573 registered residents more than 30 years old and their fasting blood samples were drawn and tested. The prevalences of definite hypertension (>160/95 mm Hg) and borderline hypertension (140/90 to 160/95 mm Hg) were 18.7% and 16.0%, respectively. To study factors associated with hypertension, univariate analysis was applied first. Stratified analyses by age and sex were used for interaction assessment. Logistic regression was used for multivariate analysis. According to the final model, the significant factors related to definite hypertension were age (>50 v < 50 years of age, odds ratio [OR] 2.6, 95% confidence interval [Cl] 1.6 to 4.3), physical activity (frequent v infrequent, OR 0.4, 95% Cl 0.2 to 0.6), alcohol intake (yes v no, OR 2.3, 95% Cl 1.1 to 4.6), and cholesterol (>240 v < 240 mg/dL, OR 1.7/95% Cl 1.0 to 2.9). Significant factors related to borderline hypertension were age (only for those cholesterol >240 mg/dL, >50 v < 50 years of age, OR 4.1, 95% Cl 2.1 to 7.9), cholesterol (only for those age <50, >240 v <240 mg/dL, OR 3.6, 95% Cl 1.6 to 7.8), physical activity (frequent v infrequent, OR 0.4, 95% Cl 0.2 to 0.7), and alcohol intake (yes v no, OR 2.3, 95% Cl 1.1 to 4.6). Significant interaction between age and hypercholesterolemia was found for borderline hypertension, but not for definite hypertension. Am J Hypertens 1992;5:608-615.