Sasang constitution may act as a risk factor for prehypertension

BACKGROUND: Prehypertension (pre-HTN), similar to hypertension, has been associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to determine whether the Sasang constitution (SC) types could also be independent risk factors for pre-HTN. METHODS: A total of 2,806 eligible subjects, older than 20 years old from 25 medical clinics, participated. Clinical data, including the blood pressure, age, height, weight, and data from blood tests, were collected. One-way ANOVA with Scheffé’s post-hoc analysis and the chi-square test were used, according to the SC and sex. Logistic regression was used to generate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence interval (CI) for pre-HTN. RESULTS: The pre-HTN prevalence rates of the Soeumin type, Soyangin type and Tae-eumin type were 59.4 %, 60.1 % and 74.9 %, respectively, in men (p < 0.001) and 41.7 %, 44.4 % and 58.3 % in women (p < 0.001). The Soyangin type was not more associated with increased ORs than the Soeumin type in any of the subjects with pre-HTN. Even after adjusting for sex, BMI, FBG, TC, TGs, HDL, and LDL, the Tae-eumin type in men was associated with increased ORs of pre-HTN compared with the Soeumin type (OR 1.57, 95 % CI 1.03–2.39), but the Tae-eumin type in women was not associated with pre-HTN. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggested that the Tae-eumin type combined with sex might be significantly and independently associated with pre-HTN, especially high pre-HTN.