Association of blood pressure with ethnic origin in 17-year-olds: the Jerusalem Lipid Research Clinic Prevalence Study.

Blood pressure and pulse rate were measured in a random sample of 1,200 17-yr-old Jewish boys and girls examined in 1976-79 during Visit 2 of the Lipid Research Clinic Prevalence Study. Mean systolic pressures were 110.1 and 106.1 mm Hg in boys and girls, respectively, diastolic pressures 69.9 and 70.4, pulse pressure 40.2 and 35.7, pulse rates 73.3 and 77.3 beats/min, and double products 8,082 and 8,228 mm Hg x beat x min-1. Multiple regression analysis showed that there were significant differences in systolic pressures between boys and girls whose fathers had immigrated from different countries, pressures being highest in those of European origin and lowest in those of North African origin. These differences were of the order of 3 to 4 mm Hg and were not explained by the distribution of height, Quetelet index, skinfold thickness, smoking, drinking, social class or education of subject. Pulse pressures followed a similar pattern, but the differences between origin groups were significant only for boys. Diastolic pressures and pulse rates did not vary with origin.