Aims: Dyslipidaemia and hypertension are features of the metabolic syndrome, but the role of dyslipidaemia in the development of hypertension is less clear. We assessed the association of dyslipidaemia with incident hypertension during a 7-year follow-up in a population-based cohort of middle-aged men without hypertension at baseline.
Methods and results: In all, 88 of 311 men developed hypertension during the follow-up. A 1-SD increment in triglyceride concentrations was associated with a 1.6-fold [95% CI(confidence interval) 1.2-2.3] increased risk of developing hypertension, independently of features related to the metabolic syndrome. In separate multivariable models, the triglyceride content of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and apolipoprotein B concentrations were also associated with new-onset hypertension. In a stepwise backwards logistic regression model, concentrations of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol [odds ratio (OR) 1.3, 95% CI 1.0-1.7 for a 1-SD change] and triglyceride content of HDL cholesterol (OR) 1.5, 95% CI 1.1-1.9) were positively associated with incident hypertension, whereas HDL concentrations (OR 0.7, 95% CI 0.5-0.9) seemed protective. In factor analyses, elevated triglyceride levels and related disturbances in lipid and cholesterol metabolism were associated with new-onset hypertension.
Conclusion: Dyslipidaemia characteristic of the metabolic syndrome predicts the development of hypertension during a 7-year follow-up of eastern Finnish men, independently of features related to insulin resistance. The recognition of dyslipidaemia and initiation of lifestyle treatment even in the absence of hypertension is likely to reduce the long-term burden of cardiovascular disease.