Risks of Prehypertension

People with high blood pressure—defined as ≥140/80 mmHg—are more likely to suffer cardiovascular disease (CVD). But little is known about the dangers of prehypertension, a newly defined category in which the upper number is 120–139 mmHg or the lower number is 80–89 mmHg.

In a recent issue of Hypertension, a group of researchers described a study of the effects of prehypertension, diabetes, and the combination of the two on the risk of CVD. The study included 2,629 people participating in the Strong Heart Study, a long-term project examining CVD in American Indian communities in Oklahoma, Arizona, and North and South Dakota. Participants provided detailed health information in an interview, had a physical exam, and had blood drawn for lab tests. They were followed for 12 years.

Analysis revealed that people with prehypertension alone were almost twice as likely to develop CVD, while those with diabetes alone were almost three times more likely to develop CVD compared with those without the conditions. People with both prehypertension and diabetes were nearly four times more likely to develop CVD than those without either condition.

Further research on the benefits of more aggressive treatment of prehypertension is needed, the authors conclude.

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