The Milton Survey. 2. Blood pressure and heart rate

Blood pressure and heart rate were measured in 1,206 adult inhabitants of Milton, about 82 percent of the adult population. Mean blood pressure for the various 10 year age groups was very similar to that found in other comparable societies. There was quite a high prevalence of blood pressure levels of 160/95 mmHg or over, especially in the older age groups. Blood pressure was lower in young women than in young men but rose more steeply with age in women than in men, so that in old age it was higher in women than men even though antihypertensive treatment was much more common in the women. Heart rate was higher in women than in men; in both sexes, heart rate correlated strongly with blood pressure. Quetelet's index (weight/height) also correlated strongly with blood pressure; this suggests once again that the amount of hypertension in the community might be reduced if body weight could be kept at desirable levels.