Prevalence And Risk Factors Of Hypertension Among Population At Different Altitudes In Xinjiang

Objectives: Controversy exists whether high altitude increases the risk of hypertension(HTN)in permanent inhabitants.Thus,aim was to compare the prevalence of HTN and related factors in residents from different altitude.Methods: A stratified multistage random sampling method was used obtain a representative sample of residents more than 15 years old from below sea-level,0-1000 m,1000-2000 m,2000-3000 m and from 3000-3500 m altitude site,Xinjiang China in April 2015 to October 2016.Sites were divided into group 1,2,3,4,and group 5.A unified questionnaire was used to investigate the height,weight,blood pressure,heart rate et al.SPSS17.0 was used for statistical analysis to compare the prevalence of HTN,risk factors and mean BP by different sites.Results: A total of 12477 subjects were enrolled including 4565 subjects from site 1,4303 from 2,1123 from 3,1117 from 4 and 1369 subjects from site 5.Age-standardized HTN prevalence was the highest in group 3(20.3%),followed by group 5 and 2(18.7%;18.2%)and the lowest in group 4(8.5%).SBP was the highest in group 3(126.1±20.4mmHg),and lowest in group 4(119.8±15.0mmHg).Compared to youth,Han population,higher education attendants,below site 1,those with normal weight,middle age(OR=5.54),old age(OR=17.13),Mongolian(OR=1.48),Kazakh(OR=1.48),Tajik(OR=4.71),lower education attainment(OR=1.53),middle ducation attainment(OR=1.56),site 2(OR=1.37),overweight(OR=1.79)and obesity(OR=3.66)were related to higher HTN prevalence.Results were statistically significant.Conclusions: HTN prevalence and SBP failed to increase in line with elevating altitude in permanent inhabitants.Life styles in ethnic groups may be the risk factors of HTN.