title: Evaluation and comparison of blood pressure profiles of Pakistani cohort of children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the blood pressure profile of children in Metroville, a lower middle class urban community of Karachi, Pakistan, and compare it to Pakistan National Health Survey of children.
  
  
  METHODS
  A research survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted by National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Karachi from 1996 2002.
  
  
  METHODS
  The blood pressure data was generated at the base line examination of MHS and was used to define the BP profile of urban Metroville children, age 2-17 years. Similar data of Pakistan National Health Survey (PNHS) undertaken by Pakistan Medical Research Council (PMRC), was used for comparison.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A comparison of the blood pressure profile of the MHS with that of the PMRC showed that blood pressure was lower in the MHS. Additionally, comparison of the PMRC profile with USA data showed higher diastolic pressure in the PMRC. Comparison of Pakistani profiles with European data also showed higher blood pressure in Pakistani children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is concluded that the MHS represents the BP profile of children in newly emerging lower middle class urban communities in Pakistan. PMRC data represents national average and can be used to define the blood pressure characteristics of urban communities similar to Metroville. The comparison with affluent countries highlighted the urgent need for community based preventive programs to combat hypertensive diseases in Pakistan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, NICVD, Karachi. nicvdedo@khi.comsats.net.pk
authors.forename: Kalimuddin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Aziz
authors.forename: Manolio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: T
authors.forename: Saleemuddin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aziz
authors.forename: Azhar Masood A
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Faruqui
authors.forename: Davis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: C e
authors.forename: Najma
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chaghani
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Hafeez
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ghuari
authors.forename: Faisal
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Memon
authors.forename: Tariq
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ashraf
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sultana
authors.forename: Lillian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: She
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000517:prevention & control; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan; D012016:Reference Values; D014505:Urban Population