Positive Association between Hemoglobin Concentration and Blood Pressure in Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on Rafsanjan Cohort Study

INTRODUCTION: Identification of factors associated with blood pressure (BP), including hemoglobin, can be used in diagnosing, controlling, and predicting the prognosis of patients. This study aims to investigate the cross-sectional association between hemoglobin concentration and BP in people aged 35–70 years in a cohort study of Rafsanjan, Iran. METHOD: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 9398 urban and rural population of Rafsanjan adult cohort study as a part of the prospective epidemiological research studies in Iran (PERSIAN). Demographic information, medical history, history of smoking and alcohol intake, systolic and diastolic BP, and hemoglobin concentration were collected. A logistic regression test was performed to evaluate the relationship between hemoglobin concentration and BP in 4 unadjusted and adjusted models based on demographic indicators, clinical and laboratory findings using SPSS.24 software and SAS software version 9.2. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 49.78 ± 9.53 years, and 53.2% (5002 people) were women. Adjusted models 3 and 4 showed a positive association between BP and hemoglobin. For each unit increase in hemoglobin, the odds ratio (OR) of BP in the adjusted model 3 was 1.062 (95% CI: 1.005–1.121), and in the adjusted model 4, it was 1.090 (95% CI: 1.031–1.153). CONCLUSION: Based on the results, the positive trend of BP and hemoglobin levels may indicate the need to pay more attention to these people as higher-risk groups for hypertension.