Impact of Blood Pressure and Other Components of the Metabolic Syndrome on the Development of Cardiovascular Disease

BACKGROUND: Few prospective studies have explored blood pressure (BP) and other components of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) and their interaction in the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in China. METHODS AND RESULTS: A prospective study of the prevention of multiple metabolic disorders and MetS in Jiangsu province, China: 3,598 subjects were followed for a median of 6.3 years. The Asian criterion of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III was used to define the MetS. Independent risk of the MetS and its components on developing CVD was analyzed, but only BP was associated with CVD. Incidence and risk of CVD increased with the number of MetS components. A linear association was found between the risk of CVD, BP and the number of other components (trend, P<0.01). The adjusted relative risk of developing CVD was increased when BP and other components coexisted. However, the interaction of BP and other components of MetS was not significant (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In Chinese, among the components of MetS BP was an independent risk factor for CVD. No significant interaction was found between BP and the other MetS components.