Table I.

Main characteristics of the hypertensive group and the healthy controls.

Characteristics of cases (n)	Hypertensive group (n=300) n (%)	Healthy controls (n=150) n (%)
Female	180 (60.0)	95 (63.3)
Mean age, years	58.0±10.2	53.2±12.3
Alcohol consumption	16 (8.9)	15 (15.8)
Cigarette smoking (at least 10 cigarettes daily)	15 (8.3)	7 (4.7)
Familial history of hypertension	68 (37.8)	0 (0)
Male	120 (40.0)	55 (36.7)
Mean age; years	55.1±8.4	51.6±20.9
Alcohol consumption	25 (20.8)	28 (50.9)
Cigarette smoking (at least 10 cigarettes daily)	50 (41.7)	15 (27.3)
Familial history of hypertension	94 (78.3)	0 (0)