After adjusting for age, sex, family history of hypertension, coronary heart disease, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and current smoking, a high level of baseline serum occludin (>0.376 ng/mL) distinguished severe PHE patients from mild PHE (OR, 5.3; 95% CI, 1.9–14.4; p = 0.001). The gene discussed is OCLN; the disease is hyperlipidemia.