Objective  To examine effects of systolic blood pressure (SBP)/diastolic blood pressure (DBP) on the incidence of stroke among in-service workers and retirees enrolled in a study conducted at the Jinchuan Nonferrous Metals Corporation located in Jinchang city of Gansu province (Jinchang Cohort) for providing references for blood pressure control and stroke prevention in the population.

  Methods  The study included 32 736 Jinchang Cohort participants with completed information of baseline survey in June 2011 and follow-up study in December 2015. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards model were used to analyze the effect of SBP/DBP (in mm Hg) measured at the baseline survey on the risk of stroke incidence in the population.

  Results  During the follow-up period, the incidence of stroke was 0.88% for all the participants and the incidence was 1.03% for 19 879 males aged 46.24 ± 13.40 years and 0.65% for 12 857 females aged 45.89 ± 11.36 years, respectively. After adjusting for gender, age, education, smoking, alcohol drinking, and family history of diabetes and stroke, the results of multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that compared to those with the SBP of lower than 120, the participants with the SBP of 120 – 139 (except for the males), 140 – 159, and ≥ 160 were at a significantly increased risk of stroke, with the hazard risk (HR) of 1.53 (2.03 for females), 2.65 (2.44 for males and 2.55 for females), and 3.09 (2.86 for males and 2.83 for females); compared to those with the DBP of lower than 80, the participants with the DBP of 80 – 89 (only for all the participants as a whole), 90 – 99, and ≥ 100 were at a significantly increased risk of stroke, with the HR of 1.42, 2.17 (2.02 for males and 2.34 for females), and 2.79 (2.95 for males and 1.94 for females); in contrast to those with the SBP/DBP of <120 / < 80, the HR of stroke incidence was 1.83 for the participants with the SBP/DBP of 120 – 139/80 – 89, 2.55 for 140 – 159/ < 80, 1.81 for 140 – 159/80 – 89, 3.21 for 140 – 159/90 – 99, 3.34 for 140 – 159/≥100, 2.28 for ≥160/< 100, and 3.97 for ≥160/≥100, respectively.

  Conclusion  The stroke incidence differed by both systolic and diastolic blood pressure and their combinations significantly among in-service workers and retirees of Jinchang Cohort and the results should be concerned in blood pressure control and stroke prevention in the population.