Metabolic disorders predict development of hypertension in normotensive Japanese subjects.

Each component of the metabolic syndrome is not necessarily clustered coincidentally. Thus, subjects who have obesity, dyslipidemia or impaired glucose tolerance may be at high risk for the development of hypertension. We studied the predictive value of the following for the development of hypertension: obesity (body mass index > or =25.0 kg/m2), dyslipidemia (high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol <40 mg/dL, triglyceride > or =150 mg/dL, or use of anti-dyslipidemic drugs), high normal blood pressure (130 mmHg < or = systolic <140 mmHg, or 85 mmHg < or = diastolic <90 mmHg), and impaired glucose tolerance (fasting plasma glucose > or =110 mg/dL or use of anti-diabetic agents). This observational study included 5,785 subjects without hypertension recruited from participants in our health checkup program. They were followed up for 1,097+/-365 d, with the endpoint being the development of hypertension. During the follow-up, hypertension developed in 1,168 subjects (74.1 per 1,000 person-years). The incidence of hypertension was higher in subjects who had obesity (106.2 vs. 67.8), dyslipidemia (96.1 vs. 69.0), high normal blood pressure (166.0 vs. 40.1), or impaired glucose tolerance (130.5 vs. 65.3 per 1,000 person-years) than in those without these disorders at baseline. The risk of hypertension was increased as the number of metabolic disorders in an individual increased. Multiple regression analysis indicated that obesity, high normal blood pressure, and impaired glucose tolerance remained independent predictors of the onset of hypertension. Thus, the presence of individual components of the metabolic syndrome predicts the development of hypertension. Prediction of the development of hypertension may lead to effective prevention of both hypertension and resulting cardiovascular diseases.