During an 8-year follow-up of the original cohort of the Turkish Adult Risk Factor Study, blood pressure was measured appropriately in 1838 subjects (mean age 48.6 ±14), and trends were studied after stratifying for sex and age groups. In order to assess the overaJI change at constant age, based on the previously obtained age-related pressure curve of Turkish adults, an aJlowance for 8 years of aging in systolic and diastolic pressures by +4.5/+2.2 mmHg in men, and +7.2/+3.4 mmHg in women was made. Overall net mean blood pressure of the sample population rose by 3.2/1.9 mmHg in men over 8 years; and while the systolic measurement revealed no significant difference among women, the diastolic value increased by 1.5 mmHg. Based on 2575 adults comprising the new as well as the original cohort, the prevalence of mild and higher grades of hypertension (~ 140 and/or ~90 mmHg) was 36.3% and 43.1% for men and women, respectively, suggesting the existence of 5 million Turkish men and 6 million women. Thirty-seven % of hypertensive individuals were estimated to be under drug treatment and that hypertension control was achieved only in one-third of them as defined by keeping blood pressures at normal or mildly hypertensive levels. Univariale analysis disclosed the waist circumference to have the strongest correlation between systolic or diastolic pressure among men as well as women (r= 0.29-0.41). Good correlation existed in both genders also between either pressure values and body mass index (r= 0.28-0.36). A significant association was noted between systolic pressure and coronary heart disease in both genders and between the latter and diastolic pressure in men. Multivariate analysis, however, did not reveal systolic and diastolic blood pressure to be significant independent markers of coronary heart disease.
Keywords: Antihypertensive treatment, blood pressure, coronary heart disease, epidemio logy, hypertension prevalence, risk factorsCopyright © 2025 Archives of the Turkish Society of Cardiology