High Blood Pressure & Related Factors among Individuals at High Risk for HIV/Sexually Transmitted Infections

Data from a social network-based human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention study with a total of 330 men and women at high risk for HIV/STIs were used to examine the relationships between substance use, depressive symptoms, general health, cardiovascular disease risk factors, sociodemographic characteristics, and systolic/diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP). 

Approximately 60% of the participants had prehypertension to stage 2 hypertension. In the base model, older patients (P<.0001), men (P=.003), and patients with poorer self-reported health (P=.029) were significantly associated with high SBP, whereas older age (P<.001) and higher body mass index (P<.001) were significantly associated with higher DBP. 

After adjusting for the base model, high frequency of alcohol drinking and high frequency of binge drinking remained significant for high SBP and DBP. 

These data suggest that future cardiovascular disease programs should target moderate alcohol consumption to improve blood pressure among individuals at high risk for HIV/STIs.

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By: Nam S1, Whittemore R1, Jeon S2, Davey-Rothwell MA3, Latkin C3,4.

• 1Division of Primary Care, Yale School of Nursing, Orange, CT.
• 2Division of Acute Care/Health Systems, Yale School of Nursing, Orange, CT.
• 3Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD.
• 4Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD.  

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