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

Abstract

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.