Hypertension and Hyperlipidemia Go Hand in Hand

People with high blood pressure are more likely also to have untreated or insufficiently treated cholesterol problems, according to a Mayo Clinic–led study published in the
June 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

Investigators studied two hypertensive populations: 1,070 non-Hispanic whites and 1,286 non-Hispanic blacks. About half of the blacks with high blood pressure (49.5% of women and 56.7% of men) also had high cholesterol (hyperlipidemia). More than three-fourths (78.4%) of the white male hypertensives and 64.7% of the women had hyperlipidemia.

Among subjects with both risk factors, fewer than one-third were taking cholesterol-lowering medications. Fewer than half of those had reached recommended lipid levels. Researchers said this lapse in treatment suggests that more than two-thirds of the 50 million U.S. adults with hypertension also have high cholesterol that is not being treated aggressively enough.