Risk Factors of Hypertension and Correlates of Blood Pressure and Mean Arterial Pressure among Patients Receiving Health Exams at the Preventive Medicine Clinic, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thailand
Marshala Lee**, Laketa Entzminger**, Vitool Lohsoonthorn MD, MSc, MS*, Michelle A Williams ScD**
Affiliation : * Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, King Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand ** Department of Epidemiology, Multidisciplinary International Research Training Program, University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
Objective : The purpose of the present cross-sectional study was to determine the relevance of several risk
factors for hypertension in a Thai population.
Materials and Methods : The authors used multiple linear regression to identify factors that influenced systolic
blood pressure(SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) in a study of
1,398 patients.
Results : Hypertensive risk factors were similar among men and women. Increased age, body mass index
(BMI), and low educational attainment, were statistically significant risk factors for hypertension in men.
For example, overweight men (BMI = 25.0-29.9 kg/m2) were 1.88 times more likely to be hypertensive (OR =
1.88, 95%CI = 1.02-3.47) as compared with men who had a normal BMI (20.0-24.9 kg/m2). Obese men (>
30.0 kg/m2) had an increased risk, but this association was not significant (OR = 1.40, 95%CI = 0.34-5.69).
Similar risk factors were identified among women. Overweight women had a 1.74-increased risk for
hypertension (OR = 1.74, 95%CI = 1.13-2.69). The corresponding risk was increased 3-fold among obese
women (OR = 3.05, 95%CI = 1.76-5.29). Among men, age and BMI were positively associated with increased
SBP, DBP, and MAP. Men >60 years of age had an increase in SBP (β = 18.89, p < 0.001), DBP (β = 5.53, p
< 0.001), and MAP (β = 9.89, p < 0.001) values as compared with the referent group (< 40 years). Similar
associations were noted among women.
Conclusion : Hypertension risk factors observed in this Thai population are similar to those found in Western
populations. Prospective studies are needed to evaluate rigorously causal relationships between risk factors
and hypertension.
Keywords : Blood pressure, Hypertension, Mean arterial pressure, Risk factors
