The Birmingham blood pressure school study

Abstract

SummaryFour-hundred and twenty-eight school leavers of 3 ethnic groups (white, black and Asian) were screened for blood pressure, resting pulse rate and general anthropometric characteristics. Asian pupils were both shorter and lighter than the other two groups whilst black males were heavier and taller. There was no significant difference in the mean systolic or diastolic blood pressure between the 3 groups, although the black pupils had a stronger family history of hypertension, particularly on the mother's side. These observations differ in some respects from other ethnic blood pressure studies and establish values for the local population.

Is the blood pressure of people from African origin adults in the UK higher or lower than that in European origin white people? A review of cross-sectional data

“…15 In another two studies on school leavers (hence excluded from the tables), mean systolic and diastolic BPs were lower in the black groups than in the white groups. 27,28 Epidemiological studies have consistently shown an important and independent association between increased BP and cardiovascular disease, especially stroke and coronary heart disease. 29 Whether the physiological optimal level of BP is the same in each ethnic group is unknown.…”

Ethnic differences in blood pressure and the prevalence of hypertension in England

“…11 Further, two British studies have examined blood pressure levels in adolescents, since there has been speculation that levels of adult blood pressure may be determined in childhood. One found no evidence of ethnic differences among adolescents in terms of mean blood pressure or the prevalence of hypertension, 22 whilst the other found that adolescent white males had significantly higher mean systolic blood pressures than Afro-Caribbeans. 23 Given the inconsistency of findings from British studies concerning the prevalence of hypertension and elevated blood pressure levels among the three main ethnic groups in the UK, the present study, utilising the third UK largest cohort to date, provided a further test of whether mean blood pressure and the prevalence of hypertension varies among the two main ethnic minority groups in England compared with Caucasians among participants in the Birmingham Factory Screen project, Birmingham INTERSALT volunteers, and volunteers from four churches in the West Midlands.…”

Do variations in blood pressures of South Asian, African and Chinese descent children reflect those of the adult populations in the UK? A review of cross-sectional data

“…Methods of the review studies Table 1 shows that four studies were carried out in England, [6][7][8][9] and one study was carried out in England and Wales. 10 Two studies reported the time the field work was conducted.…”

“…Of the five studies included in the final analysis, four were cross-sectional surveys 6,7,9,10 and one study reported cross-sectional data from a cohort design. 8 Two studies were designed specifically to focus on BP levels, 6,7 the rest had broad aims relating to a range of cardiovascular risk factors.…”

“…Five studies were examined. [6][7][8][9][10] One author 10 supplied unpublished data. We contacted five experts, listed in the acknowledgements, in ethnicity and health to advise us if they knew of any other studies, but none was identified.…”