THE PREVALENCE OF HYPERTENSION IN RURAL ZULUS - A PRELIMINARY-STUDY

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  • 1 January 1981
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 60  (1) , 7-10
Abstract
In a preliminary random study of 1000 rural Zulus the overall prevalence of primary hypertension was 10.5% (females 10.75%, males 10%). Women between the ages of 31 and 40 yr had a higher prevalence than men. The mean arterial pressure in relation to age and sex was not as high as in urban Zulus. The urban Zulus had a more definite rise in mean arterial pressure after 30 yr of age. A diastolic blood pressure of .gtoreq. 95 mmHg was present in 8.1% of the subjects, and 2.3% had a diastolic blood pressure of .gtoreq. 105 mmHg. Hypertension apparently is not a major health problem in rural Zulus. Large-scale case-finding and intervention programs should be confined to the urban black population of South Africa.