Impaired fasting glucose predicts the development of hypertension over 6years in female adults: Results from the rural Chinese cohort study.

AIMS: To investigate whether impaired fasting glucose (IFG) is an independent risk factor for incident hypertension in a rural Chinese population.

METHODS: We selected 9583 eligible participants 18 to 75years old, who were without hypertension and diabetes at baseline (from 2007 to 2008) and were from a rural area in the middle of China. Concentration of fasting glucose at baseline was assessed in quartiles to predict hypertension risk by gender. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for IFG (fasting glucose of 100 to 125mg/dl) associated with hypertension were estimated by logistic regression models.

RESULTS: Risk of hypertension was increased for females with glucose levels in quartile 2 (90-96mg/dl), quartile 3 (96-102mg/dl), and quartile 4 (102-125mg/dl) versus quartile 1 (<90mg/dl): OR=1.27 (95% CI=1.01-1.60), 1.30 (1.04-1.63), and 1.55 (1.24-1.93), respectively. During the 6-year follow-up, the cumulative incidence of hypertension was greater for people with IFG than normal fasting glucose (NFG) at baseline (23.9% vs 18.4%, p<0.001 for males and 23.8% vs 16.4%, p<0.001 for females). Risk of incident hypertension was significantly increased for females with IFG versus NFG (OR=1.23 95% CI=1.05-1.45).

CONCLUSIONS: IFG may be an independent risk factor for hypertension in normotensive nondiabetic Chinese females.