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Figure 1 Age- and SBP-adjusted cardiovascular mortality rates calculated with a Cox proportional hazards regression for men (left panel) and women (right panel) with high SBP (150 mm Hg) according to DBP levels. For the same SBP level, a U-shaped relationship between DBP and cardiovascular mortality was observed in men. In women, however, this relationship was linear. DBP = diastolic blood pressure; SBP = systolic blood pressure. *p < 0.02; **p < 0.001 vs. DBP 90 to 99 mm Hg; p < 0.01 (chi-square trend test).