The association between blood pressure and lipid levels in Europe: European Study on Cardiovascular Risk Prevention and Management in Usual Daily Practice

摘要

Objectives:Several studies have suggested a positive association between serum lipid levels and blood pressure (BP). This study investigated this association in a large population from 12 European countries.Methods:Data were taken from the European Study on Cardiovascular Risk Prevention and Management in Usual Daily Practice (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00882336). Associations between BP and lipid levels in patients free from cardiovascular disease and with at least one major cardiovascular disease risk factor (N=7641) were assessed using linear regression analyses.Results:Overall, 72.8 and 64.8% of patients had hypertension and dyslipidaemia, respectively; 47.0% had both conditions. Regression coefficients (95% confidence interval) for the associations of LDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol and apolipoprotein B levels with SBP, adjusted for age, sex and BMI, were 0.93mmHg/mmol per l (0.54-1.31), 1.07mmHg/mmol per l (0.73-1.40), 1.02mmHg/mmol per l (0.69-1.35) and 4.94mmHg/g per l (3.43-6.46), respectively. The corresponding values (95% confidence interval) for the associations with DBP were 0.96mmHg/mmol per l (0.73-1.19), 0.95mmHg/mmol per l (0.75-1.15), 0.87mmHg/mmol per l (0.67-1.07) and 4.33mmHg/g per l (3.42-5.23), respectively. Most of these associations remained significant whether patients were treated with statins or not.Conclusion:Small but statistically significant associations between lipid levels and BP were observed in a large, multinational European population. Further research is warranted to assess the causality of this association and its implications on the management of patients with both hypertension and dyslipidaemia.