Influence of Age, Sex, and Obesity on Blood Pressure of Hutterites in South Dakota

Abstract

Anthropometric and blood pressure data were evaluated in 724 male and female Hutterites and 273 randomly sampled male and female subjects in southeastern South Dakota who served as the control group. Hutterite males and females showed significant age-dependent increases of both weight and obesity (p less than 0.001) not seen in the control group. Both systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SP and DP) of the Hutterites were higher than those of the control subjects (p less than 0.001). There were highly significant correlations between age, weight, obesity (all p less than 0.001), and SP and DP of the Hutterites. Correlations between the weight and SP and DP were significant (p less than 0.001) in the control groups. The prevalence of systolic blood pressures greater than or equal to 140 mm Hg among Hutterite males ranged from 34.6 to 79.3 percent in age groups by decade vs 8.7 to 34.2 percent in age-matched control males. The prevalence of diastolic blood pressure levels greater than or equal to 90 mm Hg ranged from 0 percent in the youngest (less than or equal to 29 years) to 7.9 percent oldest age group (60+ years) of control males. The prevalence of elevated DP among male Hutterites ranged from 5.9 to 37.9 percent in corresponding age groups. A similar age-dependent trend of prevalence rates of elevated DP and SP were noted in female Hutterites but to a lesser extent than in control subjects. Elevated blood pressure levels among Hutterites may be an important contributing risk factor to the younger mean age of death of Hutterites compared to the control population.