THE CASUAL ARTERIAL PRESSURE OF FIJIANS AND INDIANS IN FIJI

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Abstract
Summary: Casual arterial blood pressure has been measured in population samples of Fijians and Indians inhabiting Fiji.Certain features of blood pressure found in peoples of Europe and America have been found in both races. The means and standard deviations of systolic pressures rise with age. The means of diastolic pressures rise, at least to the sixth decade. Pressures rise more in females than in males. Frequency distributions of pressures are continuous and mostly show positive skewness. Each race contains subjects with markedly raised pressures.The overall mean systolic and diastolic pressures of Fijians and Indians are similar, but pressures rise more with age in Indians than in Fijians. Differences between races in the younger groups are reduced when differences in arm circumference are taken into account. Correction for arm circumference increases the relatively higher pressures of elderly Indians.The levels of blood pressure of Fijians and Indians are compared in detail with those reported in a London population. The pressures of Fijians, Indians and Londoners are similar up to the sixth decade. Thereafter, those of Fijians and Indians fall below those of Londoners.This similarity of pressures up to the sixth decade in such contrasted races is emphasized, for ways in which the races differ have previously been held to account for differences in pressures between other races. The reasons for the differences in later years are discussed.