Traditional CVD risk factors predict BP trajectories in adults

Many traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) show an association with unfavourable long-term blood pressure change (BPC) or BP trajectories in adults, suggests a China study.

Most baseline sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics, such as smoking, alcohol drinking, intake of fresh vegetables, fruits, and red meat, and physical activity, correlated with cumulative BP. After adjusting for other factors, the cumulative systolic (S)BP rose by 116.9 (95 percent confidence interval, 111.0‒122.7) for every 10 years of age.

The cumulative SBP differences in heavy drinkers of ≥60 g pure alcohol per day and former drinkers compared with less than weekly drinkers were 86.7 and 48.9, respectively. The cumulative SBP in participants with less than weekly red meat intake was 29.4 higher than those with daily red meat intake. For BMI per 5 kg/m² and waist circumference (WC) per 10 cm, the cumulative SBP differences were 127.8 and 70.2, respectively.

“Most of the findings of other BPC measures by baseline characteristics were similar to the cumulative BP, but the differences between groups were somewhat weaker,” the researchers said.

Additionally, alcohol consumption correlated with several high-risk trajectories of SBP and diastolic (D)BP, while BMI and WC independently correlated with all high-risk BP trajectories.

This study included 15,985 participants who completed three surveys over 15 years in the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB). The researchers measured SBP and DBP, height, weight, and WC, then queried the participants regarding their sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle factors using a structured questionnaire.

Standard deviation, cumulative BP, coefficient of variation, and average real variability were calculated as long-term BPC proxies. Finally, the latent class growth model was used to identify BP trajectories.