Nutrition Research
Volume 25, Issue 12 , Pages 1049-1060, December 2005

Cured meat consumption and hypertension: an analysis from NHANES III (1988-94)

  • David C. Paik

      Affiliations

    • Department of Ophthalmology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
    • Department of Medicine, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
    • Department of Surgery, North General Hospital, New York, NY 10035, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Department of Ophthalmology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. Tel.: +1 212 305 1622; fax: +1 212 305 7238.
    • ,
  • Thomas D. Wendel

      Affiliations

    • Department of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, NY 10003, USA
    • ,
  • Harold P. Freeman

      Affiliations

    • Department of Surgery, North General Hospital, New York, NY 10035, USA

Received 20 November 2004; received in revised form 20 September 2005; accepted 12 October 2005.

Abstract 

The in vitro reactions of nitrite (cured meat preservative) with collagen/elastin produce effects that could cause arterial stiffening, an early marker of essential hypertension. Because dietary cured meat ingestion can be a significant source of human nitrite exposure, the epidemiological association between cured meat consumption and hypertension was studied. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994). Hypertension was defined using self-reported history, medication use, and measured blood pressures. A significant age interaction between hypertension and cured meat consumption was noted, and the age group 17 to 40 years was identified as the susceptible group. Cured meat consumption was an independent risk factor in a multivariate regression model that included a large number of covariates. This is the first epidemiological evidence that links cured meat consumption with hypertension. Further work with longitudinal data sets is necessary before recommendations can be considered regarding the proposed hypothesis.

Keywords: Meat, Nitrite, Sodium nitrite, Hypertension, Arteriosclerosis, Aging, Collagen, Elastin, Nutrition surveys

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PII: S0271-5317(05)00229-0

doi:10.1016/j.nutres.2005.10.002

Nutrition Research
Volume 25, Issue 12 , Pages 1049-1060, December 2005

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