To determine gender differences in prevalence of anxiety traits in general population and to evaluate its impact on the risk of hypertension in men and women aged 25–64 years in the open population in Russia/Siberia.

Under the third screening of WHO program “MONICA-psychosocial” a random representative sample of the population aged 25–64 were surveyed in Novosibirsk in 1994 (n = 657 men, n = 870 women). Anxiety levels were measured by means Spielberger test. Over the 16-year period were identified 229 cases of AH in women and 46 for men. Cox-proportional regression model was used for an estimation of hazard ratio (HR).

In general population aged 25–64 years at 99.5% of women and 97.5% of men had moderate and high levels of anxiety traits. In univariate Cox regression analysis model the risk incidence of arterial hypertension in women and men with high level of anxiety was 2.383-fold and 5.18-fold higher, respectively, over 5 years of follow-up. It was 1.853-fold and 5.75-fold higher over 10 years and 1.45 and 3.82 times higher over 16 years after baseline. In the multivariate Cox regression model HR of hypertension was 1648 in women with high level of anxiety; and it was 4.568-fold higher in men.

Despite the higher prevalence of HLA in women, the risk of developing hypertension is much higher in males.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.