Prehypertension, Parental history of hypertension and Metabolic risk factors in young individuals

Background & Aim : Hypertension is one of the biggest health challenges of 21 st century. Persons with prehypertension are at an increased risk of developing hypertension than do those with lower BP levels. Risk factors for developing hypertension peculiar to Indian population are high familial aggregation. Prehypertension is associated with metabolic risk factors which are likely to further increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Hence we designed this study to analyse the association of prehypertension with parental history of hypertension . And to compare blood sugar and serum cholesterol levels between prehypertensives and normotensives. Methods: In this cross-sectional study 250 males and 250 females were recruited from the Coimbatore Medical College. A detailed history including parental history of hypertension was collected. Blood pressure was recorded using a standardised mercury sphygmomanometer. Fasting blood sample was collected to assess blood sugar and serum cholesterol values. Results : Prehypertension was positively associated with parental history of hypertension. Blood sugar and serum cholesterol values were significantly higher in prehypertensives compared to normotensives.