No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

M ANY factors have been tentatively identified as correlates of blood pressure. These include age, sex, race, body build or obesity, dietary components, particularly sodium, and genetic susceptibility. While there is general agreement that each of these factors plays some role, the exact quantitative nature of this role is a subject of controversy. Some of the disagreement present in the literature on blood pressure is no doubt due to the differing composition of the groups that have been studied and to preoccupation with study of a single factor, all other factors being neglected or ignored. For a discussion of some of the factors influencing blood pressure, see Pickering.? The population of the Bahama Islands offers a unique opportunity for simultaneous study of several of the important factors related to blood pressure. Residents of these islands are primarily Negro, although about 20 per cent of the population is Caucasian. This permits the simultaneous study of the factors of race, age, and sex. Another interesting feature of the Bahamas is the known high sodium content of the water supply. The importance of salt intake in the pathogenesis of hypertension is controversial, but no good data are available in regard to population differences in salt intake compared to distributions of blood pressure. There have been many studies of the distribution of blood pressure in human populations. In general, these studies have been concerned with special groups of people, such as insurance policy hoIders, industrial workers, and clinic outpatients and inpatients. Each of these groups might possibly differ in blood pressure distribution, thus making it a potentially poor representative of a large general This study was partially supported by a grant from the United States Public Health Service. National Institutes of Health (H-3577). The basic data in this paper were abstracted from a dissertation submitted in partial ful5llment of requirements for the degree of Doctor of Public Health at the University of Michigan.

No abstract