While Cholesterol Levels Stay Stable, Blood Pressure Levels Tend to Rise in the Populat ion of the Marmara Region of Turkey

This report comprises the analysis of follow-up data pertaining to plasma lipids and blood pressuı·c in the original cohort of the sample population of Turkey' s Marmara region obtained in the 1997 survey of the Turkish Risk Factor Study. Among a total of 518 participants (of which 256 men), plasma cholesterol and triglyceride values were measured by a Reflotron apparatus. Cholesterol concentrations were validated in a group of randam saınples and upward adjusted for the obtained systematic bias of - L.5%. Mean of two blood presslll·e measurcments performed in a standard fashion wcre usecl. Adjustment was made in the parameters for the aging of the cohort by 7 years with the purpose of assessing changes i ncuıTed independent of aging. Compared to baseline values in 1990, nett plas ına total cholesterol levels in 1997 eleclincd by 4.3 mg/eli in men and by 3 mg/eli in women. By contrast, mean fasring plasma triglyceriele levels inercaseel by 13.7 mg/dl in men, whereas this rise was not substantial in women (5.2 mg/di). When age was kept constant, systolic blood pressure rose 4-5 mmHg in cithcr gender. Diastolic pressure rose by 3 mmHg in women, while remaining unchanged among men. Thus, the global risk of the popul ation of the Marmara region appears to exhibit a tendeney to inercasing risk in systolic prcssure anel plasma triglycerides among men, and in systolic and diastolic pressures in women. Among hypertensive individuals, 38% were uneler antihypertensive medication, while only 6% of subjects having total cholesterol levels in excess of 220 mg/dl were using lipid-lowering drugs (all statins) indicating a large gap of treatment.