Anthropometric and lifestyle factors associated with white-coat, masked and sustained hypertension in a Chinese population.

OBJECTIVE

We investigated to what extent anthropometric and lifestyle factors contributed to the classification of Chinese individuals into groups with white-coat, masked and sustained hypertension (HT).

METHODS

We measured the office and ambulatory blood pressure (BP) in 694 Chinese enrolled in the JingNing population study (45.7% men; mean age, 48.4 years). In multivariate-adjusted analyses, we determined the correlates of both types of BP and the factors contributing to white-coat HT (conventional and daytime BP > or =140/90 and <135/85 mmHg, respectively), masked HT (<140/90 and > or =135/85 mmHg) and sustained HT (> or =140/90 and > or =135/85 mmHg), relative to normotension (<140/90 and <135/85 mmHg).

RESULTS

In continuous analyses, the conventional and daytime BPs were positively associated with age, body mass index and urinary sodium, and inversely with urinary potassium. The prevalence of white-coat, masked and sustained HT was 7.8, 10.8, and 35.0%, respectively. In line with the continuous analyses, the risk of sustained hypertension increased with age [odds ratio (OR), 2.11 per 10 years], body mass index (OR, 1.27 per 1 kg/m2) and urinary sodium (OR, 1.18 per 50 mmol/day), but was inversely associated with urinary potassium (OR, 0.34 per 25 mmol/day). Furthermore, the risk of white-coat and masked HT increased with age (OR, 1.79 and 1.40, respectively) and body mass index (OR, 1.14 and 1.12). Women were less likely to have masked hypertension than men (OR, 0.39).

CONCLUSIONS

Sex, age, body mass index, and urinary sodium and potassium excretion contribute to the risk of white-coat, masked and sustained HT in Chinese.