Association Between Serum Cystatin C and High Blood Pressure (HBP): A Cross-Sectional Study of an Elder Chinese Type 2 Diabetic Population.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum CysC levels and high blood pressure (HBP) and to explore its diagnostic value for HBP in elder type 2 diabetic (T2D) population.

Methods: A total of 369 elder T2D patients (age > 60) were included in this cross-sectional study. Their clinical and biochemical characteristics were detected. Patients were divided into two groups: with HBP and without. The risk factors of HBP were explored by binary logistic regression analysis.

Results: The serum concentrations of CysC were 1.08 ± 0.42 and 0.90 ± 0.21 mg/L in patients with and without HBP, respectively. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that the significant risk factors were CysC (p = 0.000, OR = 16.977), systolic blood pressure (p = 0.000, OR = 1.087), and diabetes duration (p = 0.000, OR = 1.289). The prevalence of HBP increased with CysC (p < 0.05), and the prevalence of HBP in patients with CysC ≥ 1.2 mg/L was much higher than the other three quartile groups. The risk of HBP dramatically increased in patients with cystatin C ≥ 1.2 mg/L (OR = 1.601, 95% confidence interval 1.239 - 2.069, p = 0.000). After adjusting for gender, age, and diabetes duration, its OR still remained 1.633 (95% confidence interval 1.181 - 2.257, p = 0.003).

Conclusions: There was a strong and independent association between CysC and HBP in elder diabetic population, and cystatin C ≥ 1.2 mg/L indicated a great increased risk of HBP.