Key points from article :
Researchers investigated the relationships between elevated blood pressure, glucose status and cardiovascular disease.
Enrolled 805,992 people and their dependents using a nationwide claims-based database in Japan.
Blood glucose status and blood pressure values had a synergistic effect on the incidence of coronary artery disease (CAD) and cerebrovascular disease (CVD).
Risk of CAD and CVD increased concurrently with higher systolic and diastolic BP categories.
"Compared to Westerners, Asians have significantly less CAD (but more stroke), low obesity levels, and a very different pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus," - Hirohito Sone, senior author.
"Even with slightly high blood pressure levels, it is essential to engage in lifestyle improvement (salt reduction) from an early stage," - Kazuya Fujihara, lead author.
Further trials should focus on patients with borderline glycemia and diabetes.
Study by Niigata University published in Diabetes Care.
