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BACKGROUND@#Unawareness of stroke symptoms and low income are two barriers that affect the seeking of emergency medical service (EMS). This study aimed to assess the effect of unawareness and low income on seeking EMS and to investigate the regional distribution of the unawareness and low-income status and their associations with failing to call EMS in China.@*METHODS@#A total of 187,723 samples from the China National Stroke Screening Survey was interviewed cross-sectionally. Four status of awareness and annual income were identified: unaware and low-income, unaware-only, low-income-only, and aware and regular income. The outcomes were whether they intended to call EMS or not. The regional distribution of each status and their associations with not calling EMS were presented.@*RESULTS@#The status of unaware and low-income, unaware-only, and low-income-only accounted for 6.3% (11,806/187,673), 11.9% (22,241/187,673), and 21.5% (40,289/187,673) of the total sample, respectively. Not calling EMS was significantly associated with the status of unaware and low-income (odds ratio [OR]: 3.21, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.07-3.35), unaware-only (OR: 2.38, 95% CI: 2.31-2.46), and low-income-only (OR: 1.67, 95% CI: 1.63-1.71), compared with the aware and regular income status. The Midwest regions had higher percentages of people in the unaware and low-income status; the East, South, and Central had higher percentages of unaware-only status; the North and Northeast regions had a higher percentage of low-income-only status, compared with other regions.@*CONCLUSION@#The existence of the regional difference in unawareness and low income justifies the specific stroke education strategies for the targeted regions and population.
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Humans , China , Emergency Medical Services , Odds Ratio , Socioeconomic Factors , StrokeABSTRACT
Objective Urine is a promising biomarker source for clinical proteomics studies. Regional physiological differences are common in multi-center clinical studies. In this study, we investigate whether significant differences are present in the urinary proteomes of individuals from different regions in China. Methods In this study, morning urine samples were collected from healthy urban residents in three regions of China (Haikou, Xi'an and Xining) and urinary proteins were preserved using a membrane-based method (Urimem). The urine proteomes of 27 normal samples were analyzed using LC-MS/MS and compared among three regions. Functional annotation of the differential proteins among the three areas was analyzed using the DAVID online database, and pathway enrichment of the differential urinary proteins was analyzed using KEGG. Results We identified 1898 proteins from Urimem samples using label-free proteome quantification, of which 56 urine proteins were differentially expressed among the three regions ( < 0.05). Hierarchical clustering analysis showed that inter-regional differences caused less significant changes in the urine proteome than inter-sex differences. After gender stratification, 16 differential proteins were identified in male samples and 84 differential proteins were identified in female samples. Among these differential proteins, several proteins have been previously reported as urinary disease biomarkers. Conclusions Urimem will facilitate urinary protein storage for large-scale urine sample collection. Regional differences are a confounding factor influencing the urine proteome and should be considered in future multi-center biomarker studies.
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Objective To validate the Union Physio-Psycho-Social Assessment Questionnaire(UPPSAQ-70)and test its validity and reliability.Methods From April,2013 to July,2018,patients were asked to finish the computer evaluation of UPPSAQ-70 and Symptom Checklist 90(SCL-90)in Peking Union Medical College Hospital(PUMCH).Confirmatory factor analysis(CFA)was conducted on the SPSS 17.0,and the number of fixed factors was 8 factors and 3 factors.Amos 23.0 was used to verify the original 8-factor model,8-factor revision model,3-factor model,3-factor revision model,and single-factor model.Each factor of SCL-90 was used as the calibration standard to calculate the correlation coefficient between factors.The retest reliability was tested by the outpatients in PUMCH in July,2018.Results Exploratory factor analysis indicated that the 8-factor revised model included:depression,anxiety and fatigue,sleep,physical discomfort,sexual function,happiness and satisfaction,hypochondria,and social anxiety.The 3 factors revised model included that:psychological,physiological and social dimension.Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the 8-factor modified model was superior to the 3-factor model and the single-factor model: =10 410.4,=1862,RMSEA=0.07,CFI=0.753,and NFI=0.715.With SCL-90 as the standard criteria,except the low correlation coefficient between emotional scale and depression(=0.600)and anxiety(=0.520),the correlation coefficients of other symptoms were below 0.5.The chronbach's between each factor and total score of UPPSAQ-70 was between 0.823 and 0.904,and the Chronbach's coefficient of the whole scale was between 0.954 and 0.956 after each item was deleted.The retest reliability of the scale of 32 participants Chronbach's was 0.847.Each item of the scale measured between one week was significantly correlated(<0.05). Conclusion UPPSAQ-70 is a good scale for evaluating overall health status and is especially feasible in general hospitals.
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Humans , Factor Analysis, Statistical , Psychological Tests , Reference Standards , Psychometrics , Reproducibility of Results , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Objectives:The aim of this study was to compare the potential differences on echocardiographic cardiac chambers size and systolic function among the healthy Han, Tibetan and Yugur adults. Methods:A total of 1 820 healthy volunteers aged 20 to 80 years were screened at Qinghai province and Gansu province, including 887 Han (456 men), 506 Tibetan (262 men) and 427 Yugur (187 men) Chinese adults. Standard two-dimensional echocardiography was performed to obtain measurements of the cardiac chambers and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). The impacts of nationality, age and gender on all echocardiographic results were analyzed. Results:The values of left ventricular end-diastolic volume was higher in Yugur male adults than in Han and Tibetan male adults ([96.29±21.60]ml vs [93.64±18.30] ml vs [91.16±16.77] ml, P＜0.05).The differences remained after adjusting body surface area ([54.16±11.14]ml/m2 vs [53.92±10.20] ml/m2 vs [52.76±8.94] ml/m2, P＜0.05). There was no significant difference in LVEF among three nationalities (P＞0.05). The values of cardiac chambers dimensions were significantly higher in men than in women (P＜0.05). The anteroposterior dimension of the left atrium increased with age in both genders (P＜0.05). Conclusions:Our results show that the left ventricular end-diastolic volume is related to nationality and some parameters vary with gender and age. Not only the differences in age, gender, body size, but also ethnic differences should be considered when defining the normal values of echocardiographic examination.
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the prevalence and possible factors influencing metabolic syndrome in people from Guizhou Province and to explore the predictive value of the fat-to-muscle ratio in diagnosing metabolic syndrome.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A multistage stratified sampling method was used in this cross-sectional study of 20-80 years old Han and Bouyei populations from Guizhou Province, southwestern China, from October-December 2012. The study included 4,553 cases of metabolic syndrome, that was defined according to 2005 International Diabetes Federation criteria. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used for determining the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive ability of the fat-to-muscle ratio for the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The age-standardized prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 11.38% (men: 9.76%; women: 12.72%) for Han and 4.78% (men: 4.43%; women: 5.30%) for Bouyei populations. In Guizhou Province, the cut-off value for the men fat-to-muscle ratio was 0.34, the area under the curve was 0.95, and the sensitivity and specificity were 0.94 and 0.85, respectively. The cut-off value for the women fat-to-muscle ratio was 0.55, the area under the curve was 0.91, and the sensitivity and specificity were 0.93 and 0.79, respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The fat-to-muscle ratio is highly predictive of metabolic syndrome in Guizhou Province, and a useful reference indicator.</p>
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Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Humans , Middle Aged , Young Adult , Adipose Tissue , Physiology , Asian People , Body Composition , Genetics , Physiology , China , Epidemiology , Genetic Predisposition to Disease , Metabolic Syndrome , Epidemiology , Genetics , Muscle, Skeletal , PhysiologyABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effectiveness of waist circumference cut-off values in predicting the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and risk factors in adults in China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A cross-sectional survey was condcuted in 14 provinces (autonomous region, municipality) in China. A total of 47,325 adults aged⋝20 years were selected by multistage stratified sampling, and questionnaire survey and physical and clinical examination were conducted among them. MetS was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria and modified IDF criteria.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The age-standardized prevalence of MetS was 24.2% (22.1% in men and 25.8% in women) and 19.5% (22.1% in men and 18.0% in women) according to the IDF criteria and modified IDF criteria respectively. The age-standardized prevalence of pre-MetS was 8.1% (8.6% in men and 7.8% in women) according to the modified IDF criteria. The prevalence of MetS was higher in urban residents than rural residents and in northern China residents than in southern China residents. The prevalence of central obesity was about 30% in both men and women according to the ethnicity-specific cut-off values of waist circumference for central obesity (90 cm for men and 85 cm for women). Multivariate regression analysis revealed no significant difference in risk factors between the two MetS definitions.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Using both the modified IDF criteria and ethnicity-specific cut-off values of waist circumference can provide more useful information about the prevalence of MetS in China. Conclusion Using both the modified IDF criteria and ethnicity-specific cut-off values of waist circumference can provide more useful information about the prevalence of MetS in China.</p>
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Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , China , Epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Metabolic Syndrome , Diagnosis , Epidemiology , Obesity , Epidemiology , Prevalence , Risk Assessment , Risk Factors , Waist CircumferenceABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine whether modified shock index (MSI) is associated with mortality that is superior to heart rate, blood pressure, or the shock index (SI) in emergency patients.METHODS: A retrospective database review was performed on 22161 patients who presented to Peking Union Medical College Hospital Emergency Department and received intravenous fluids from January 1 to December 31, 2009. We gathered data of the patients on age, gender, vital signs, levels of consciousness, presenting complaints, and SI and MSI were calculated for all patients.RESULTS: Multivariate regression analysis was performed to determine the correlation between risk factors and outcome. There is a significant correlation between emergency patient mortality rate and patient's vital signs obtained at the triage desk (HR>120 beats/min, systolic BP<90 mmHg, diastolic BP<60 mmHg). MSI is a stronger predictor of emergency patient mortality compared to heart rate and blood pressure alone, whereas SI does not have a significant correlation with emergency patient mortality rate.CONCLUSION: MSI is a clinically significant predictor of mortality in emergency patients. It may be better than using heart rate and blood pressure alone. SI is not significantly correlated with the mortality rate of the emergency patient.
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<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the demographic characteristics and clinical features of patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) in China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Between March 2007 and September 2010, IPAH diagnosis was confirmed by right heart catheterization in 150 adult patients from 31 clinical centers in China. Clinical and hemodynamic data were analyzed and patients were divided into WHO functional class I/II and WHO functional class III/IV group.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mean age of 150 patients were 36 ± 13 years with female patient/male patient ratio of 2:1, and mean BMI was (21.3 ± 3.5) kg/m(2). Fatigue (n = 123, 82.0%) and dyspnea (n = 112, 74.7%) are the most common symptoms. Accentuated pulmonic second sound (P(2)) was detected in 92.0% (n = 138) of patients during physical examination, which was also the most common sign. About 49.0% (n = 73) patients were WHO functional class I/II patients and 46.0% (n = 68) patients were WHO functional class III/IV patients. Six minutes walking distance (6MWD) and Borg dyspnea score was (337 ± 101) m and 2.0 (2.0, 4.0), respectively. Right ventricular hypertrophy was suggested by ECG in 93.1% (n = 140) patients. Right atrial pressure was (10 ± 6) mm Hg, mean pulmonary artery pressure was (61 ± 16) mm Hg, cardiac index was (2.3 ± 0.8) L×min(-1)×m(-2) and pulmonary vascular resistance (1484 ± 699) dyn×s(-1)×cm(-5) in this cohort. 6 MWD (305 m ± 89 m vs. 377 m ± 88 m) was significantly shorter while Borg dyspnea score [3.0 (3.0, 5.0) vs. 2.0 (2.0, 3.0)] was significantly higher in WHO functional class III/IV patients than in WHO functional class I/II patients. Similarly hemodynamic parameters were also worse in WHO functional class III/IV patients than in WHO functional class I/II patients (all P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension patients in this cohort affect mostly young adults, dominated by female gender and lower body mass index. Fatigue and dyspnea are the most common symptoms and accentuated pulmonic second sound (P(2)) is the most common sign. IPAH patients are often displaying severe functional and hemodynamic disturbance at first visit to hospitals. Dyspnea and hemodynamic impairment are related to 6MWD and WHO functional class.</p>
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Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Young Adult , Familial Primary Pulmonary Hypertension , Hemodynamics , Hypertension, Pulmonary , Diagnosis , Ventricular FunctionABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To examine the relationship between overweight or obesity and the risk of the various hypertension hemodynamic subtypes in Yi farmers and migrants.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A cross-sectional study of 2 358 Yi farmers and 1 392 Yi migrants was carried out in the Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture, Sichuan, China in 2007.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The standardized prevalence of overweight in female Yi farmers (6.22%) was higher than in males (3.15%), whereas in Yi migrants 31.56% of males and 18.78% of females were overweight. The standardized prevalence of obesity was 0 and 0.61% in male and female Yi farmers, compared to 3.91% and 5.57% in male and female Yi migrants, respectively. For both genders the standardized prevalence of ISH, IDH, and SDH was higher in Yi migrants than Yi farmers. Overweight and obese Yi men and women had a higher risk for IDH and SDH (P<0.001) than non-overweight/obese individuals. However, an association of overweight or obesity with ISH was observed only in men.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Yi migrants have substantially higher proportion of overweight and obese individuals, as well as individuals affected by ISH, IDH, and SDH, than do Yi farmers. Overweight and obesity are significant risk factors for the development of hypertension in Yi people.</p>
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Young Adult , Body Mass Index , China , Epidemiology , Diastole , Hemodynamics , Hypertension , Ethnology , Obesity , Ethnology , Overweight , Ethnology , SystoleABSTRACT
Objective To explore the association between quality of sleep and quality of life among residents of Suzhou city.Methods A total of 3225 residents at the age of 18-55 years old in Suzhou city were selected through a clustered sampling method.All the participants were comprehensively evaluated on their quality of sleep by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and on their quality of life (QOL) by SF-36 quality of life scale.Partial canonical correlation analysis was performed.Results Negative relationships were noticed between all the dimensions of sleep quality white all the QOL domains remained significant when the confounding effect of age,gender,marital status,occupation and cultural level were adjusted.The first pair of canonical correlation variances showed statistically significant differences,with 0.7978 of canonical correlation coefficient,1.7505 of eigenvalue,and 92.43％ of proportion.Data on daytime dysfunction,sleep disturbances and subjective sleep quality were inversely associated with factors as vitality,general health perceptions and mental health,respectively,after controlling for covariates.The inverse relationship between the quality of sleep and the quality of life mainly manifested the following aspects:the association between the status of daytime dysfunction,sleep disturbances,subjective quality of sleep and vitality,general health perceptions and mental health.Conclusion Quality of sleep had influenced the quality of life,overall health and mental health.Daytime dysfunction,sleep disturbances and subjective sleep quality seemed the main factors in Suzhou city.Intervention programs related to improving the sleep need to be popularized among the residents,so as to make the quality of life better.
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Objective The aim of the study was to understand the quality of life and the related factors of farmer workers in the countryside of Hubei province. Methods Purposive sampling was used to select 529 farmer workers and another 326 government workers were served as controls.'Group investigation' method was used in this study, t-test was used to compare the quality of life among farmer workers and the Chinese norm. SF-36 was used to measure the quality of life. Generalized linear regression model(GLM)and structural equation model(SEM)were applied to test the related factors. Results Quality of life among farmer workers in Hubei was significantly different from the norm of residents in Hangzhou. The quality of life among migrant workers was significantly lower than the government staff(PRP＜0.05, PBP＜0.05, PVT＜0.05)after controlling the confounding factors. Factors as age(B=-0.33), sex(B=-0.07), marital status(B=-0.10),sleeping habits(B=-0.16), fatigue(B=-0.12), life style(B=-0.05)and social status(B=0.93)etc. were related to the quality of life. Conclusion The quality of life among farmer workers was poor, and mainly affected by age, sex, marital status, sleeping habits, fatigue, lifestyle and social status. It is important to reduce the work load and making the work status and life style reasonable to better the quality of life among the farmer workers.
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Objective To investigate the epidemiological condition of the sub-health status of the young and middle-aged persons in urban and rural areas of Hubei province, and to explore the relationships among personality, quality of sleep and sub-health status. Methods Purposive sampling method and Personal Health Status Questionnaire developed by Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences were used to investigate the sub-healthy status of 3187 subjects aged 18-55 and evaluate the relationships among sub-health status, personality and the quality of sleep with structural equation model. Results Gender, education, marriage, age and occupation were factors influencing the status of sub-health. Among all of the subjects, sub-health status of females were more serious than that of males (P＜0.0001 of all). The divorced, separated and widowed ones were more likely to experience sub-health than other status of marriage (P= 0.0006, P=0.0102). The sub-health status of the subjects aged 30-55 in the urban (P=0.0197)and low-literacy residents in rural (P=0.0003)were among the worst. The condition of the sub-health in migrant workers and professional were worse compared to other occupational groups (P=0.0043). Structural equation model analysis revealed that sub-health status associated with the quality of sleep and the type of characteristics (P＜0.01 ). Conclusion Sub-health status did exist among the young and middle-aged persons and was influenced by the quality of sleep and personality. However, it could be adjusted by improving the quality of sleep and personality to prevent sub-health.
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<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Chinese ethnic minorities is an important component of China's AIDS issues. In this study, we launched an intervention programme in Yunnan Province of China, where the Dai people live, to carry out the community-based HIV/AIDS health education and behavioral interventions on ordinary Dai farmers. The Dai people believe in Theravada Buddhism.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Four rural communities were randomly divided into two groups. In one group (Buddhist group), HIV/AIDS health education and behavioral intervention were carried out by monks. The other group (women group) was instructed by women volunteers. The intervention continued for one year and the data were collected before and after the intervention project.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the Buddhist group, the villagers' AIDS related knowledge score was boosted from 3.11 to 3.65 (P < 0.001), and some indices of the villagers' behavior using condoms improved after the intervention. But this improvement was poorer than that in the women group. In the Buddhist group, the villager's attitude score towards the people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) also increased significantly from 1.51 to 2.16 (P < 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The results suggested that the Buddhist organization has limited success in promoting the use of condoms, but plays an important role in eliminating HIV/AIDS related discrimination.</p>
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Adolescent , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Young Adult , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome , Buddhism , China , Condoms , HIV Infections , Health Education , MethodsABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the difference on the prevalence and the risk factors of type 2 diabetes(T2DM) between Yi farmer and immigrants in Liangshan, Sichuan province.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A representative sample of 2878 Yi people (including 1549 farmers and 1329 immigrants) aged from 16 to 76 was selected by the method of multistage and cluster sampling in Liangshan, Sichuan province, China, during 2007 - 2008. The samples were divided into 5 groups by the factor of age (16-, 25-, 35-, 45- and 55-76). The standardized prevalence of T2DM was calculated by the national census data in 2000. Logistic regression analysis was used to study the related risk factors of T2DM.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The prevalence of Yi farmer was 4.33% (67/1549) (male: 6.15% (42/683), female: 2.89% (25/866)), and that of Yi migrants was 9.03% (120/1329) (male: 11.31% (88/778), female: 5.81% (32/551)). The standardized prevalence (SP) was calculated by the data of national census 2000. The SP of Yi farmer was 5.97%in male, and that of the female was 2.40%. The SP of Yi migrant was 10.25% in male, and that of the female was 6.29%. For Yi people, sex (male versus female, OR = 1.69, 95%CI: 1.02 - 2.81), age (versus the group aged 16- and 25-, group aged 35 to 54: OR = 5.04, 95%CI: 2.93 - 8.69; group aged above 54: OR = 6.19, 95%CI: 3.23 - 11.86), hypertension (versus normal group, borderline hypertension value: OR = 1.61, 95%CI: 1.08 - 2.38; hypertension group: OR = 2.40, 95%CI: 1.37 - 4.22), smoking (OR = 1.55, 95%CI: 1.01 - 2.37), triglyceride (TG) level (OR = 1.65, 95%CI: 1.10 - 2.46) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level (OR = 1.64, 95%CI: 1.13 - 2.37) were the positive factors correlated with T2DM, and drinking (the alcohol volume from 22.67 to 52.50 g/d ) was negative factor (OR = 0.53, 95%CI: 0.30 - 0.95) correlated with T2DM.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The prevalence of T2DM in Yi immigrants was higher than that in Yi farmers;sex, age, blood pressure, smoking, TG, HDL-C, drinking were influencing factors of T2DM.</p>
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Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Young Adult , China , Epidemiology , Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 , Epidemiology , Ethnicity , Prevalence , Risk Factors , Rural PopulationABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To determine whether insulin resistance (IR) was associated with essential hypertension (EH) in YI nationality living in Liangshan, Sichuang Province.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A case-control study consisting of 113 YI hypertensives as cases and 156 YI normotensives as controls were conducted to investigate the level of fasting glucose (FG) and fasting insulin (FINS), and insulin resistance index was used as the indicator of IR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>It was found that impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and IR were associated with EH significantly among YI migrants, and OR (95% CI) were 3.98 (2.14 approximately 7.42, P < 0.001) and 2.55 (1.35 approximately 4.83, P = 0.004) respectively. Being stratified by sex, both IFG and IR were associated with EH significantly among YI male migrant, and OR were 4.31 (2.01 approximately 9.24, P < 0.001) and 3.14 (1.45 approximately 6.82, P = 0.003) respectively; but only IFG was associated with EH significantly among YI female migrant and OR was 3.46 (1.17 approximately 10.22, P = 0.022). Among YI farmers, both IFG and IR were not associated with EH significantly. The non-conditional logistic regression analysis showed that IR was associated significantly with EH among YI migrants. This was not as same as observed in YI farmers.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>It is likely that IR is the risk factor of EH among YI migrants in our study. However, the association between IR and EH among YI farmers needs some further studies.</p>
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Male , Blood Pressure Determination , Case-Control Studies , China , Epidemiology , Emigrants and Immigrants , Hypertension , Blood , Epidemiology , Insulin , Blood , Insulin Resistance , Logistic Models , Prevalence , Risk Factors , Rural PopulationABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To clarify whether A1166C polymorphism of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT(1)R) gene is associated with susceptibility to essential hypertension in Han, Tibetan and Yi populations in China.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>This study involved 302 normotensive and 446 hypertensive subjects. The polymorphism was detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism in genomic DNA. The data were analyzed by ANCOVA, chi-square test, and multiple logistic regression.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In normotensive controls, the A1166 allele frequencies were 0.979, 0.939 and 0.965 in Han, Tibetan and Yi participants, respectively. There was no significant intergroup variation in frequency of the allele in normotensives (chi-square=4.166, P=0.125). The frequency of the A1166 allele in Tibetan male hypertensives was significantly higher than that in normotensives (chi-square=11.46, P=0.001). There was no significant difference in A1166C genotype distribution and allele frequency between normotensives and hypertensives either in the Han (P=0.465) or Yi (P=0.357) populations. Body mass index in the Han and Yi populations (P=0.0001), age in the Tibetan and Yi populations (P=0.0001), and AA genotype in the Tibetan male population (P=0.0034) all were independent risk factors for hypertension. Diastolic blood pressure levels were significantly higher in Tibetan male subjects with the AA genotype than in those with the AC+CC genotype (P=0.0040).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The A1166 allele is very common in Han, Tibetan and Yi populations, approximately 1.35-fold more common than in Caucasians. The A1166 allele of the AT(1)R gene may be a predisposing factor for essential hypertension in Tibetan males. A1166C polymorphism of the AT(1)R gene is probably not involved in the pathogenesis of essential hypertension in Han and Yi populations.</p>