Associations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, particles and subspecies with the risk of hypertension: findings from the PREVEND prospective study.

Objective: The prospective associations of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), HDL particle (HDL-P) and subspecies concentrations with the risk of hypertension are uncertain. We aimed to evaluate the associations of HDL parameters with incident hypertension risk and their interplay with alcohol consumption in the PREVEND study.

Methods: HDL parameters as measured by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and self-reported alcohol consumption were assessed in 3263 participants (mean age, 49 years; 45.8% males) without a history of hypertension at baseline. Multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs for hypertension per 1 standard deviation increment in HDL parameters were calculated.

Results: During a median follow-up of 7.2 years, 825 participants developed hypertension. In analysis adjusted for several potential confounders, including alcohol consumption, there were inverse associations of HDL-C, HDL-P, medium HDL, HDL size, H3P and H4P with hypertension risk: HRs [95% confidence interval (CI) of 0.88 (0.81-0.97), 0.92 (0.86-0.99), 0.86 (0.80-0.93), 0.89 (0.82-0.98), 0.92 (0.85-0.98), and 0.87 (0.81-0.94), respectively]. Sex or alcohol consumption did not modify the associations of HDL parameters with hypertension risk. Compared with abstainers, the multivariable adjusted HRs (95% CI) of hypertension for occasional to light, moderate and heavy alcohol consumers were 0.84 (0.70-1.00), 0.83 (0.68-1.02), and 0.97 (0.69-1.37), respectively; the associations persisted on further adjustment for HDL parameters.

Conclusions: There are inverse associations of HDL-C, HDL-P, medium HDL, HDL size, H3P and H4P with hypertension risk, which are not confounded or modified by alcohol consumption. Light and moderate alcohol consumption is modestly and inversely associated with hypertension risk, independently of HDL parameters.