BLOOD PRESSURE AND HYPERTENSION IN AN AGRICULTURAL AND A FISHING POPULATION IN TAIWAN

Arterial blood pressure surveys were carried out in 2 populations in Taiwan. Samples were selected from the population of an agricultural area, and from a fishing area. Measurements were made on 19,889 subjects. Mean systolic pressure increased with age. The mean pressure of females was lower than that of males until about age 40 years, but was considerably higher than that of males at later ages. Mean diastolic pressure increased only slightly with age, and was similar in both sexes. The highest mean blood pressure and prevalence of hypertension occurred in the fishing population, the lowest in an urban population (studied previously): there were intermediate values in the agricultural population. Significant correlations were observed between parent and offspring in age-and sex-corrected blood pressure scores. Prevalence of hypertension in offspring was highest when both parents were also affected and lowest when neither parent was affected. Significant correlations were also observed between the pressures of marital partners. These correlations were higher in the fishing than in the agricultural population.