title: Blood pressure and associated factors in a rural Kenyan community.
abstract: Blood pressure (BP) and associated factors were determined in 1737 men in a remote Kenyan agricultural community. Systolic BP showed no significant rise with age until after 54 years; diastolic BP showed a small rise with age. Both systolic and diastolic BP correlated with weight independent of age. Systolic and diastolic BP correlated positively with casual urinary sodium/potassium and negatively with potassium/creatinine ratios. Both systolic and diastolic BP correlated significantly with the number of years of education, as did urinary sodium/potassium and sodium/creatinine ratios. Potassium/creatinine ratios were negatively correlated with the number of years of education. Blood pressure and urinary sodium/creatinine ratios were significantly lower in subsistence farmers compared with those in other occupations, and potassium/creatinine ratios were significantly higher. Two pilot studies of Luo tribesmen showed a strong correlation between casual urinary electrolyte ratios and those derived from 24-hour urine samples and a greater variance of sodium excretion between these people than that found within individuals. These results suggest that a relationship between BP and casual urine electrolyte estimations may be identifiable in communities where there is less day-to-day dietary variation. They also suggest that some of the changes in BP associated with urbanization could be mediated by changes in dietary electrolytes.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D000383:Agriculture; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001835:Body Weight; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D004522:Educational Status; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009790:Occupations; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011188:Potassium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000652:urine; D012424:Rural Population; D012964:Sodium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000652:urine; D014507:Urbanization
chemical_list: D012964:Sodium; D003404:Creatinine; D011188:Potassium