Casual blood pressures and their possible relation to age, body weight. Quetelet's index, serum cholesterol, percentage of body fat and mid-arm muscle circumference in three groups of northern Nigerian residents

Abstract

Blood pressures were determined for rural outpatients, soldiers and university students. There was no consistent change of systolic blood pressure with age until the sixth decade but even here, the rise could be due to the inclusion of a relatively high number of hypertensive subjects in the sample mean. Diastolic blood pressures show a steady rise with age consistent with the decreased elasticity of arteries with age. Diastolic pressures are remarkably low and probably reflect a general vasodilation necessitated by the hot day-time temperatures of this environment to facilitate heat loss and maintain body temperature. Dietary and psychological influences may also be involved. Pulse pressures are predictably high and decrease with age. Hypertension was observed in many groups although totally absent in some. Body weight significantly correlates with systolic and diastolic pressures in I3-19-ycar-old adolescents probably because during this period of rapid growth blood pressure changes parallel changes in body build. In most other groups blood pressures show no consistent relationship with either body weight, Queenlets’ index, mid-arm muscle circumference, scrum cholesterol or percentage of body fat