Association of non-HDL-C and risk of incident hypertension

BackgroundThe study aimed to investigate the association between non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) and risk of incident hypertension, especially concerning the association of different levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and non-HDL-C with risk of incident hypertension. MethodsA total of 10,623 participants from the Rural Chinese Cohort Study were included in the analyses. Non-HDL-C is the total cholesterol in the blood minus high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) between non-HDL-C, LDL-C, and risk of incident hypertension were estimated using logistic regression models. ResultsDuring the 10-year follow-up, 3,110 newly diagnosed hypertensive patients were identified. After adjustment for potential confounders, baseline non-HDL-C level was associated with higher risk of hypertension: the OR for the highest vs lowest quartile was 1.79 (95% CI: 1.43-2.24). For each standard deviation (SD) increase in non-HDL-C, risk of incident hypertension increased by 41%. When LDL-C was within the ideal level (<2.6 mmol/L) but non-HDL-C was above the ideal level ([&ge;]3.4 mmol/L), the risk of incident hypertension was elevated by 56% compared to when both of them were at ideal levels. Conversely, no such increased risk was observed when the LDL-C level was non-ideal while non-HDL-C remained within the ideal level. ConclusionsSerum non-HDL-C level was found to be positively associated with the risk of incident hypertension in rural Chinese adults, an association independent of LDL-C, suggesting that further lowering of non-HDL-C by interventions to reduce residual risk of incident hypertension would be beneficial.