Blood Pressure and Risk of Death From External Causes Among men Screened for the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial

The authors examined data obtained from baseline interviews & 25 years of mortality follow-up (1973-1999) for 347,978 men screened for the American Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial. There were 3,910 deaths from external causes, including 2,313 unintentional injuries, 1,248 suicides, & 349 homicides. Men with stage 2 hypertension had multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios of 1.90 for falls, 1.45 for motor vehicle injuries, 1.33 for other accidents, 1.40 for suicide, & 1.35 for homicide. For men, hypertension may signal an increased risk of death from external causes. (45 refs.)