Association between the JNC 7 Classification of the Stages of Systolic Hypertension and Inflammatory Cardiovascular Risk Factors

Abstract

Background and Objectives: It is well known that the higher the blood pressure, the greater the chance of cardiovascular disease, but the factors that are responsible for this association remain largely unknown. We sought to determine whether blood pressure, in a dose-dependent way, is associated with systemic inflammation, which is a known risk factor for cardiovascular events. Subjects and Methods: We analyzed the data from 5,626 participants, aged 40-65 years, of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). We quantified the blood pressure by dividing the participants into the normal, pre-, stage 1 and stage 2 hypertension groups based on the Joint National Committee 7 (JNC) classification. We used multiple linear and logistic regression models to determine the relationship between blood pressure and the levels of inflammatory markers. Results: After adjustments were made for various co-morbidities, participants with stage 2 systolic hypertension had higher circulating leukocyte levels [840/μL (95% confidence interval [CI], 374 to 939/μL)] and fibrinogen levels [24.5 mg/dL (95% CI, 8.9 to 31.9 mg/dL)] than those participants with normal blood pressure. They also showed higher circulating C-reactive protein levels (C-reactive protein>10.0 mg/L: p for trend=0.001). There was a dose-dependent increase for the circulating levels of the risk factors across the different levels of systolic blood pressure, but not for diastolic blood pressure. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that an elevated systolic blood pressure is an independent risk factor for systemic inflammation and this may explain why systolic hypertension is a risk factor for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular events.

Protein Hydrolysates from Brewing By-Products as Natural Alternatives to ACE-Inhibitory Drugs for Hypertension Management

“…BSY and BSG peptides also have reported antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities [ 7 , 15 , 16 ], which is of major importance since oxidative stress and inflammatory markers are correlated with high BP, and both pathological conditions are believed to be involved in the pathogenesis of primary hypertension [ 36 , 37 ]. In the current study these bioactivities were not explored, but if the reported antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects are preserved after oral administration, it is expected that brewing protein hydrolysates will present multiple biological activities against the elevation of BP, having the possibility to provide more health benefits with a single bioactive component.…”

Novel Immune Mechanisms in Hypertension and Cardiovascular Risk

“…The third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) analysed data from 5626 participants and revealed a higher number of circulating leukocytes in hypertensive than in normotensive participants as well as the correlation between their number and systolic BP [ 116 ]. Increased BP is also observed in patients after infusion of allo-activated T cells during cancer treatment [ 117 ].…”

The concentration of tumor necrosis factor in the blood serum and in the urine and selected early organ damages in patients with primary systemic arterial hypertension

“…[7,8] The inflammatory condition is characterized by an increased concentration of certain proteins in the blood serum, which include, among others C-reactive protein (CRP), TNF, fibrinogen, and interleukins 6 and 8. [9] Among those, TNF is one of the major cytokines of inflammatory and immunologic response, regulating the differential and growth of cells. It is primarily produced by mastocytes, macrophages as well as granulocytes, endothelial cells, fibroblasts, lymphocytes T, smooth muscle myocytes.…”