Association between hypertension and carotid plaque in a physical examination population: a cross-sectional study / 中华健康管理学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective@#This study aimed to assess the association between hypertension and carotid plaque in a research population in China.@*Methods@#The subjects of this study were selected from a population undergoing physical examination at the Fourth Medical Center of PLA General Hospital in 2017. We collected information on physical examination, physiological index test, blood pressure indicators were analyzed according as continuous variables (systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and pulse pressure) and categorical variables (hypertension and quartile of blood pressure pulse pressure). A multivariate logistic regression model was conducted to estimate the correlation between blood pressure and carotid plaque development.@*Results@#A total of 716 individuals were surveyed, including 321 men (44.8%) and 395 women (55.2%), and the prevalence of hypertension and carotid plaque were 40.9%(293 cases) and 40.4% (289 cases), respectively. The prevalence of carotid plaque was higher in individuals aged ≥60 years, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and increased waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin. The prevalence of carotid plaque increased with the increase of the quartile of blood pressure and pulse pressure (Ptrend<0.05). After adjustment for age, sex, BMI, waist circumference, and total cholesterol, triglyceride, fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, and hemoglobin levels, every 1 mmHg increased systolic blood pressure increases the risk of carotid plaque by 1.4% (95%CI 1.005-1.024). Compared with the control group, the risk of carotid plaque increased by 86.8% (95%CI 1.175-2.946) and 84.8% (95%CI 1.098-3.110) and 119.6% (95%CI 1.165-4.142) in the group of normal high blood pressure, grade 1 hypertension and grade 2 and grade 3 hypertension, respectively; compared with the control group, the risk of carotid plaque increased by 56.2% in the group of pulse pressure difference≥60 mmHg (95%CI 1.049-2.326), in which the risk of carotid plaque increased by 73.3% (95%CI 1.007-2.983) in women with pulse pressure difference≥60 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa); in the control group with pulse pressure difference of four categories Q1 (<42 mmHg), the risk of carotid plaque increased by 92.2% (95%CI 1.173-3.149) and 95.0% (95%CI 1.147-3.316) in Q3 (50-61 mmHg) and Q4 (≥62 mmHg), respectively.@*Conclusion@#Increased blood pressure or pulse pressure are associated with increased prevalence of carotid plaque. Prevention of elevated blood pressure and pulse pressure might be one of the effective precautions for the prevention of carotid plaque development.