Prevalence of hypertension and associated risk factors in Chinese Jing compared with Mulao populations

Objective To retrospectively compare differences in the prevalence of hypertension and associated risk factors between the Chinese Jing and Mulao populations. Methods Subjects of Jing and Mulao ethnicities were surveyed using stratified randomized sampling. Demography, diet and lifestyle data were collected using standardized questionnaires. Several anthropometric parameters, blood pressure (BP) levels and serum lipid concentrations were obtained. Results Data from 915 Jing and 911 Mulao subjects aged 35 years were included. Diastolic BP levels and prevalence of hypertension were lower, but prevalence of isolated systolic hypertension was higher, in the Jing compared with the Mulao population. Prevalence of hypertension in the age 60-69 years, body mass index (BMI)>24kg/m(2), and smoker subgroups was lower in the Jing compared with the Mulao populations. Prevalence of hypertension correlated with age, cigarette smoking, triglyceride level, waist circumference, sodium intake and total dietary fibre in the Jing population; hypertension prevalence also correlated with age, triglyceride level, BMI, total fat, sodium intake and total dietary fibre in the Mulao population (unconditional logistic regression analyses). Conclusions Prevalence of hypertension and associated risk factors were different between the two ethnic minorities, which might result from the combined effects of differences in their geographic, dietary, lifestyle, and genetic backgrounds.