Published ahead of print on September 18, 2003, doi:10.1164/rccm.200304-525OC
© 2003 American Thoracic Society Rhinitis and Blood Pressure in AdultsInstitute of Epidemiology, GSF–National Research Center for Environment and Health, Neuherberg; and Department of Indoor Climatology, Institute of Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine, University of Jena, Erfurt, Germany Correspondence and requests for reprints should be addressed to Dr. Joachim Heinrich, GSF—Institute of Epidemiology, PO Box 1129, D-85758 Neuherberg, Germany. E-mail: joachim.heinrich{at}gsf.de Recently, a study of 330 adults reported increased systolic blood pressure and higher hypertension rates in men with rhinitis. We replicated this study using data from a population-based sample of 896 subjects participating in the European Respiratory Health Survey and in a study on "Monitoring of Trends and Determinants of Cardiovascular Diseases" in Erfurt, Germany. Rhinitis was assessed by questionnaire, blood pressure was measured using a standardized method, and subjects were asked about current use of any high blood pressure medication. After adjustment for age, body mass index, and smoking, neither average systolic (p = 0.17) nor diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.60) was statistically significantly different between men with and without rhinitis. The adjusted prevalence rate of hypertension was also not different between males with and without rhinitis (p = 0.25). In addition, no statistically significant associations between rhinitis and blood pressure were seen in women. We could not confirm the conclusion of the previous study that men with rhinitis need special attention for blood pressure control.
Key Words: rhinitis • blood pressure • hypertension • ECRHS • MONICA This article has been cited by other articles:
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