Key result
Higher haematocrit was associated with increased systolic blood pressure, with a 1.0 mmHg (95% CI 0.5-1.5; p<0.001) increase per unit of haematocrit in women and 0.5 mmHg (95% CI 0.1-1.0) in men.
Why the study?
Are haematological indices associated with blood pressure in adults in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Cross-Sectional (n=921)
Yes
Are haematological indices associated with blood pressure in adults in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Mean Difference: 1 (95% CI 0.5–1.5)
p-value: p=<0.001
In a lean adult population in Ghana, higher haemoglobin, haematocrit, and RBC counts are significantly associated with increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Haematocrit-systolic BP association in lean Ghanaian adults is hypothesis-generating; leaves open causality, directionality, and relevance to hypertension management.
Hypertension is the most important risk factor for cardiovascular mortality and morbidity in Sub‐Saharan Africa. In western populations, high haemoglobin levels are associated with raised BP unlike in Sub‐Saharan Africa where there is a paucity of data. Our study examines the association between haematological indices with BP variables. Weight, height, BP, and whole blood indices of viscosity (Hb, haematocrit, RBC count, and MCV) were measured in 921 adults (340 men, 581 women; aged 40–75) in 12 communities in Ghana. Mean values for Hb (12.3 g/dl ± 1.7 SD), haematocrit (36.7 % ± 5.2), RBC (4.10 million/ μ L ± 0.64), and MCV were lower than reference values used in Sub‐Saharan Africa. Mean BMI was 21.1 ± 4.1 indicating a lean population. Systolic BP increased by 1.0 mmHg (95% CI 0.5–1.5), p < 0.001, for women and 0.5 (0.1–1.0), p = 0.027, for men per unit increase in haematocrit. Similar relationships were found for Hb and RBC but not for MCV or platelets. The relationships were weaker when adjusted for BMI, 0.7 mmHg (0.2–1.2) in women and 0.5 (0.0–1.0) in men. Findings for diastolic BP were similar. Overall haematological indices were low. We have found a significant, positive relationship between BP, Hb, Haematocrit, and RBC count in our population.
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Plange‐Rhule et al. (2018) reported a cross-sectional. Haematological indices (haematocrit, Hb, RBC count) was evaluated on Systolic blood pressure (MD 1.0 mmHg, 95% CI 0.5-1.5, p=<0.001). Higher haematocrit was associated with increased systolic blood pressure, with a 1.0 mmHg (95% CI 0.5-1.5; p<0.001) increase per unit of haematocrit in women and 0.5 mmHg (95% CI 0.1-1.0) in men.
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