Study of arterial blood pressure and hypertension in Benin City

Abstract

A review of the blood pressures in different populations shows that the blood pressure of the black African rises with age and that hypertension is not uncommon in the black African, hypertension is more common and the consequences more severe in the black American than his white counterpart. In cross-sectional surveys of two defined populations in the Bendel State of Nigeria - one rural, the other urban - 1482 males and 600 females were examined in the rural population and 916 males and 347 females in the urban population. A rise in blood pressure with age was found in both sexes in all the subjects examined in both populations. The raean systolic and diastolic blood pressure in all the subjects examined in Benin City (urban) were generally higher than those in Isiuwa village (rural). The prevalence of hypertension was 7.1% and 3.0% for males and females respectively in Isiuwa village whilst it was 14.4% and 10.4% for males and females in Benin City. Re-examination substantially reduced the number of hypertensives. The rural office clerks had higher mean blood pressures than the rural field labourers whilst the urban office clerks had higher mean blood pressures than the rural office clerks. The differences in mean blood pressures were statistically significant in certain age groups. Relative weight, literacy, ethnic origin, urinalysis and smoking did not explain the differences found in the mean blood pressures of rural field labourers, rural clerks and urban clerks.