The aim of this study was to examine the independent relationship between serum uric acid (SUA) and blood pressure, and to assess their joint effects on obesity, fasting glucose and lipids. The study samples were from a community-based health examination survey in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province of China (2009). Blood pressure, body mass index, fasting glucose, lipids and SUA were measured. After excluding individuals with fasting glucose greater than 7 mmol l À1 , a total of 8415 subjects with biomarkers available were included in the present study. Blood pressure increased with elevated SUA levels, after adjusting for age and sex. Further adjustment for fasting glucose, lipids and alcohol consumption did not change the increasing trend. The associations between uric acid and hypertension were most evident in those with highest quintiles of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). In addition, the associations were significant in both men and women, and we found significant interactions between uric acid status and age on hypertension. When the joint effects were examined, we found an additive effect of triglycerides and uric acid levels on diastolic blood pressure (DBP). There was significant association between SUA and hypertension, independent of other metabolic risk factors. HDL-C levels may modify the associations between uric acid and hypertension. The effects of triglycerides and uric acid levels on DBP were additive.

Increased blood pressure was associated with increased white blood cell count (adjusted p < 0.001) in a community-based health examination survey of adults in China (n = 39 282; aged 18-93 years). Adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for hypertension across white blood cell count quintiles were 1.00, 0.99 (0.89-1.09), 1.11 (1.01-1.22), 1.09 (0.99-1.20), and 1.19 (1.08-1.31) (p for trend < 0.001). Body mass index and white blood cell count had an additive effect on systolic blood pressure (p for interaction = 0.047). Therefore, white blood cell count could independently predict hypertension in Chinese adults.

The authors aimed to investigate the relationship between serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and prehyperten-sion, as well as the modification of other metabolic risk factors in a large cohort of Chinese individuals. The data were collected via a community-based health examination survey in central China. Blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), and levels of GGT, fasting blood glucose, aspartate aminotrans-ferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and lipid indicators were measured. In total, data from 18,302 patients with available biomarkers were included in the present study. Elevated blood pressure was associated with increased GGT concentration (P<.001). After adjusting for age, sex, BMI, fasting blood glucose, lipid indicators, AST, and family history of hypertension, the association between GGT levels and prehypertension remained significant (P=.021). The adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for prehypertension across quintiles of GGT level were 1.00, 1.057 (1.012-1.334), 1.068 (0.916-1.254), 1.024 (0.851-1.368), and 1.272 (1.027-1.593), respectively. In stratified analyses, the association between GGT levels and prehypertension was significant in women but was not significant in men. Moreover, additive effect of BMI and age on the effect of GGT levels on prehypertension (both P for interaction <.001) was observed. In summary, GGT levels were positively associated with prehypertension in women, independent of other metabolic factors. Furthermore, BMI and age may amplify the effects of GGT levels on prehypertension. These findings suggest that monitoring the levels of GGT could help in the diagnosis and monitoring of prehypertension. J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2014;16:760-765. ª 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Several observational studies have reported on the association of elevated gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) levels with diabetes, 1 metabolic syndrome, 2 and cardio-vascular disease. 3 Similarly, several cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have also noted a relatively independent association between elevated serum GGT levels and hypertension. 4-6 However, data on the association between GGT levels and prehypertension are limited, particularly in Chinese patients. In the present study, we aimed to examine the association between GGT levels and prehypertension in a large cohort of Chinese individuals with a normal range of blood pressure (BP) and to assess the interactions between GGT levels and other cardiovascular metabolic risk factors. METHODS Study Population In 2012-2013, we conducted a community-based health examination survey for individuals who were randomly selected from 22,726 residents living in the urban area of central China. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants. The study was reviewed and approved by the ethics committee of the Central Hospital of Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China. Patients with viral hepatitis, autoimmune liver disease, liver cirrhosis, malignant tumors of the liver, biliary tract disease, and history of heavy drinking (alcohol intake: me...