Abstract
Background
Sex differences are observed in many aspects of mammalian cardiovascular function
and pathology. Hypertension is more common in men than in women of the same age. Although
the effects of gonadal hormones on blood pressure are considered contributing factors,
the reasons for sex differences in hypertension are still not fully understood. The
present study was undertaken to compare the differences in several environmental and
genetic factors beween men and women in the Hei Yi Zhuang, an isolated subgroup of
the Zhuang minority in China.
Methods
Information on demography, diet, and lifestyle was collected in 835 women and 834
men aged 15 to 84 years. Genotyping of angiotensin-converting enzyme, adrenergic receptor
β3, aldehyde dehydrogenase 2, calpastatin, connexin 37, hepatic lipase, lipoprotein
lipase, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ, thyrotropin-releasing hormone
receptor, and von Willebrand factor also was performed in these subjects.
Results
The levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and the prevalence, awareness,
and treatment of hypertension were lower in women than in men (P < .05). Hypertension was positively associated with age, physical activity, alcohol
consumption, body mass index, waist circumference, hyperlipidemia, total energy, total
fat, sodium intake, and sodium/potassium ratio, and negatively associated with education
level, total dietary fiber, potassium intake, angiotensin-converting enzyme, aldehyde
dehydrogenase 2, and hepatic lipase genotypes in men (P < .05). Hypertension was positively associated with age, hyperlipidemia, total energy,
total fat, sodium intake, sodium/potassium ratio, calpastatin, and von Willebrand
factor genotypes, and negatively associated with education level, total dietary fiber,
potassium, calcium intake, lipoprotein lipase, and thyrotropin-releasing hormone receptor
genotypes in women (P < .05).
Conclusion
Sex differences in the prevalence of hypertension in the Hei Yi Zhuang population
may be mainly attributed to the differences in dietary habits, lifestyle choices,
sodium and potassium intakes, physical activity level, and some genetic polymorphisms.
Keywords
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Article info
Footnotes
This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30360038).
Identification
Copyright
© 2008 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
