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Title: Rhinitis in Men a Risk Factor for High Blood Pressure: Presented at ERS

"Rhinitis in Men a Risk Factor for High Blood Pressure: Presented at ERS"

By Earl R. Nichols VIENNA, AUSTRIA -- October 2, 2003 -- Researchers have found a link between rhinitis and hypertension, they reported here September 28th at the Annual Meeting of the European Respiratory Society. Men with rhinitis are more likely to have high blood pressure than women who have rhinitis and than men without rhinitis, said Sabine Kony, MD, department of respiratory diseases and epidemiology, National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM), Paris, France. Numerous studies in the past have shown a relationship between diseases of the lower respiratory tract and cardiovascular problems (including arterial stiffness, atherosclerosis, premature death and cardiovascular disease). To date, however, no studies have demonstrated a relationship between diseases of the upper respiratory tract and cardiovascular impairment. This study, undertaken by INSERM, was based on a cohort of 146 men and 170 women, mean age approximately 45 years, who were asked whether they had asthma, hay fever, rhinitis, blood pressure above 140/90 mm Hg or any kind of cholesterol disorder. The subjects all had a normal body mass index, and non-smokers comprised 33.3% of men and 35.1% of women. Men who had rhinitis had a mean systolic pressure of 130.6 mm Hg compared to 123.5 mm Hg among men who did not have rhinitis (P=0.006). There were no meaningful differences in diastolic pressure (81.4 mm Hg in men with rhinitis compared to 80.1 mm Hg in those without rhinitis). Women were not affected in the same way as men on either measurement. Mean systolic pressure for women with rhinitis was 113.6 mm Hg and in those without rhinitis it was 114.4 mm Hg. Similarly, there were no differences in diastolic pressure -- 75.0 for women with rhinitis and 75.3 for women without rhinitis. "Hypertension is more common in men with rhinitis than it is in men without rhinitis -- 35.7% compared with 15.6% (P=0.005)," said Dr. Kony. Similar trends were seen when the men were separated into groups according to patients with and without asthma or smokers and nonsmokers. There also appeared to be a disease-related effect in which men with the most severe rhinitis appeared to have the highest blood pressure levels. Dr. Kony said she was unable to explain why hypertension should be higher in men with rhinitis, but one possible explanation is that rhinitis is associated with an increase in blood pressure due to obstructive sleep apnea and snoring. She said that it is possible that women with rhinitis do not have high blood pressure because they are protected from many cardiovascular abnormalities while they are pre-menopausal, and most women in this study were in that age group. As a practical consideration, said Dr. Kony, it might be advisable for men with rhinitis to make sure their blood pressure is within normal limits when they have a physical examination. [Study title: Rhinitis is associated with increased systolic blood pressure in men: a population-based study. Abstract P783]

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