Blood pressure pattern in Saudi population of Gassim

Blood pressure pattern for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has not been defined. In a total cross-sectional population survey of the Faizia East Primary Health District of Buraidah, capital of Gassim region, Saudi Arabia, 5671 subjects out of a de facto population of 7695 got their blood pressure recorded. The study district consisted of an urban section and a rural sector. Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure were computed for the total population in conventional 5-year age cohorts as well as in an arbitrary functional age groups. The curve pattern and trends of the percentiles, were defined. Mean blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) was found to rise with age in both genders (male SBP: r = 0.66, P < 0.000001: female SBP: r = 0.58, P < 0.00001; male DBP: r = 0.53, P < 0.00001; female DBP: r = 0.45, P < 0.00001) and to correlate significantly with BMI. Both systolic and diastolic values were consistently higher in females than males. Overall means (+/- SD) were: for SBP, male 109.9 (+/- 21.57) vs female 114.33 (+/- 21.22) mm Hg; df: 5669: P < 0.00000; CI: -5.5, -2.0; for DBP, male 62.85 (+/- 16.89) vs female 64.67 (+/- 14.99) mm Hg; df: 5669; P < 0.0000; CI: -2.65, -0.989. Proteinuria (macroalbuminuria) was found to correlate positively and very significantly with both systolic and diastolic blood pressure: for SBP: r = 0.074, P < 0.0001; DBP: r = 0.055, P < 0.0001. Perhaps more significantly, in the context of preventive nephrology, is the observation that the intercept of the regression line with blood pressure was below the level conventionally regarded as hypertensive, suggesting that nephron damage may have occurred at this lower level. Overall mean diastolic blood pressure but not systolic was found to be significantly higher in the rural environment than the urban setting: mean rural DBP: 66.43 (+/- 15.699) vs urban: 62.78 (+/- 78); P < 0.00001; rural SBP: 113.71 (+/- 23.95) vs urban: 112.69 (+/- 19.87), P = NS. No discernible effect of consanguinity in marriage on blood pressure could be detected in this study but we believe that further details are required before a definite statement can be made on this important subject. The percentiles presented can only be regarded as foundation figures requiring further validation before they can be useful in determining cut-off levels for hypertension for the Saudi population.