The role of life exhaustion in the development of arterial hypertension in 25-64-year-old men: Epidemiological survey based on the WHO program "MONICA"

Abstract

Aim. To study i lie impact of life exhaustion on the risk for the development of arterial hypertension (AH) in 25-64-year-old men for 6 years. Subjects and methods. In 1994, a screening survey was performed within the framework of the WHO program "MONICA - psychosocial". A random representative sample of males (n = 657) aged 25-64 years who resided in one of the Novosibirsk districts was examined. The response rate was 82.1 %. The follow-up lasted 6 years (1904-2000). A statistical analysis was made, by using a "SPSS-10" program package. The Cox-proportional regression model was used to assess the relative risk of AH. The c_ test was applied to estimate the significance of differences between the groups. Results. In the examined population of 25-64-year-old men suffering from AH. the spread of life exhaustion is high and equal to 73-796 (mean 58 %; the high life exhaustion is 15.796): During the 6-year follow-up. there was a trend for the risk of AH to show a 2-fold increase in the exhausted males. The relative risk of AH. which was studied in normotensive males aged 25-64 years dining 6 years, was 2 times higher in the exhausted individuals than that in the unexhausted ones. Among the exhausted males, there were both persons having a higher education or holding leading posts and those having a primary education, or making hard and moderate work; pensioners, and individuals at the low social level. Conclusion. The findings suggest that life exhaustion is a pathogenetic mechanism that contributes to the development of AH.