Dietary pattern and hypertension in Korean adults

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the dietary pattern associated with hypertension and pre-hypertension among Korean male and female adults.DesignCross-sectional study from a representative sample of the Korean population.SettingThe Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey IV, which was conducted in 2007 and 2008.SubjectsMales and females (n 5308) over the age of 20 years.ResultsScores for three major dietary patterns (‘whole food’, ‘Western’ and ‘drinking’) were generated using a factor analysis of thirty predefined food groups based on the food items consumed. We used polytomous logistic regression analyses to obtain odds ratios and 95 % confidence intervals for pre-hypertension and hypertension. Participants with a high drinking pattern score (moderate to high alcohol intake, salted fermented seafood intake) had a significantly higher prevalence of pre-hypertension or hypertension than those with a lower drinking pattern score; odds for the top quintile v. the bottom quintile were OR = 1·56 (95 % CI 1·23, 1·99; P trend = 0·001) for pre-hypertension and OR = 3·05 (95 % CI 2·12, 4·40; P trend < 0·001) for hypertension. The whole food pattern was not associated with either pre-hypertension or hypertension, while the Western pattern was associated with the prevalence of hypertension only among men.ConclusionsOur finding warrants further prospective studies to examine whether alcohol drinking and salty food consumption increase the risk of developing hypertension in Koreans.