Journal of Hypertension
Volume 26, Issue 12, 2008, Pages 2295-2302

Prevalence of hypertension in immigrants and Swedish-born individuals, a cross-sectional study of 60-year-old men and women in Sweden (Article)

Carlsson A.C. , Wändell P.E. , De Faire U. , Hellénius M.-L.
  • a Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Center for Family and Community Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Center for Family and Community Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Alfred Nobels allé 12, SE-141 83 Stockholm, Sweden
  • b Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Center for Family and Community Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
  • c Division of Cardiovascular Epidemiology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
  • d Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Stockholm, Sweden

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of hypertension, defined as systolic or diastolic blood pressure or both of at least 140/90 mmHg measured on one occasion or being treated for hypertension or both, in 60-year-old men and women in groups of immigrants compared to Swedish-born. DESIGN AND METHOD: A population-based, cross-sectional study in Stockholm County including 4228 participants (77% participation rate), of whom 19% were immigrants. Outcome measures were prevalence of hypertension in immigrants compared to Swedish-born men and women with adjustments for various metabolic, lifestyle and socio-economic characteristics. RESULTS: The prevalence of hypertension among Swedish-born individuals (n = 3327) was 61% in men and 44% in women, among Finnish-born individuals (n = 327) it was 77% in men and 62% in women and among non-European immigrants (n = 123) it was 51% in men and 36% in women. The mean blood pressure in Finnish-born men was 149/90 (hypertensive). After adjustments for metabolic, lifestyle and socio-economic characteristics, the odds ratio for hypertension in immigrants from Finland was 2.02 (1.56-2.61) and the odds ratio in immigrants from non-European countries was 0.52 (0.34-0.80) using Swedish-born participants as reference. CONCLUSION: About half of all 60-year-olds in Sweden had high blood pressure. The high prevalence of hypertension found in Finnish-born immigrants remained after adjustments for many factors and needs a genetic or environmental explanation. The high prevalence of hypertension in Sweden, especially in Finnish-born immigrants, calls for preventive actions. © 2008 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Author Keywords

Hypertension Population-based studies Genetics ethnic background Prevalence

Index Keywords

immigrant lifestyle Life Style Finland logistic regression analysis metabolism blood pressure human sex difference middle aged controlled study priority journal hypertension Aged Logistic Models Health Surveys ethnology Cross-Sectional Studies Sweden social status cross-sectional study Humans male Emigrants and Immigrants female Socioeconomic Factors socioeconomics population research prevalence Article major clinical study adult migration outcome assessment statistical model health survey
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-59849107043&doi=10.1097%2fHJH.0b013e32831391c3&partnerID=40&md5=5bb9f4ea7e8a245336a06cf786a94c87
DOI: 10.1097/HJH.0b013e32831391c3
ISSN: 02636352
Cited by: 31
Original Language: English