Epidemiological Studies of Arteriosclerosis (II): Ten-Year Trends in the Prevalence of Hypertension, Hypertriglyceridemia, and Diabetes Mellitus and Its Association with the Parameters of Arteriosclerosis

Data from cardiovascular disease screening of 286, 292 male urban workers over a period of ten years (1983-93) were analyzed dividing the ten years into three periods: I. 1983-87; II. 1988-90; and III, 1991-93.We examined the prevalence of the combination of three disease indicators (called HHD): hypertension (HT), hypertriglyceridemia (HTG), and diabetes mellitus (DM), for each period to observe the trend.HT was defined as a systolic pressure ≥150mmHg and/or diastolic pressure ≥90mmHg or persons with a history of hypertension; HTG referred as those with triglyceride levels ≥150mg/dl; DM was determined as fasting glucosuria or a history of diabetes. Controls were subjects without HHD or any detectable arteriosclerotic diseases. We also examined age-specific averages of aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) and age-specific prevalence of arteriolar sclerotic changes ≥grade II by Scheie's method and ischemic ECG changes (Minnesota code: 4-1∼4 and/or 5-1∼3) for each group (HHD, HT, HTG, and DM) for each of the three periods.The prevalence of HHD correlated with aging with an increasing trend in persons 40-49 years old but a decreasing trend was noted in persons 50-59 and 60-69 years old. It was observed that compared to controls, the average PWV values of the HHD group were higher in each age-group for each period, and the prevalence of abnormal arteriolar sclerotic changes and ischemic ECG changes was 20.8-34.9 times and 5.6-10.7 times higher, respectively, for the HHD group in each age-group for each period.Thus, it was concluded that persons with HHD develop arteriosclerotic conditions much faster than healthy individuals and are considered to be at higher risk for arteriosclerotic diseases.