Uncontrolled diastolic blood pressure is strongly associated with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome risk factors, particularly in women, whereas isolated uncontrolled systolic blood pressure is primarily related to older age.
AIM: To examine the prevalence and characteristics of uncontrolled hypertension (HT). METHODS: A cross-sectional community-based study (1992-93) was carried out in Skara, Sweden, including 894 patients who consecutively underwent an annual follow-up at the hypertension outpatient clinic in primary care. Controlled HT was defined as diastolic blood pressure (DBP) 90 mmHg regardless of SBP level, and isolated uncontrolled SBP was defined as SBP >160 mmHg and DBP 5.5 mmol/l more often had isolated uncontrolled SBP (OR: 1.9, CI: 1.0-3.5, p = 0.04). In women, the following high risk factor levels were associated with uncontrolled DBP: fasting blood glucose >5.5 mmol/l (OR: 1.4, CI: 1.1-1.8), fasting triglycerides > or =1.7 mmol/l (OR: 1.4, CI: 1.1-1.8), body mass index (BMI) >30 kg/m2 (OR: 1.5, CI: 1.1-1.9), waist/hip ratio (WHR) >0.85 cm/cm (OR: 1.7, CI: 1.3-2.2), insulin resistance (homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) >third quartile) (OR: 1.4, CI: 1.1-1.9) and microalbuminuria (OR: 3.2, CI: 1.7-6.2). CONCLUSION: Uncontrolled DBP is in both sexes related to type 2 diabetes, whereas isolated uncontrolled SBP is related to older age. In women, uncontrolled DBP, furthermore, is related to several other CVD risk factors of the metabolic syndrome. Patients with uncontrolled DBP should be carefully evaluated for metabolic disorders.
Bøg‐Hansen et al. (2003) studied this question.