Blood pressure and rural--urban migration in Iran

To find the possible association between rural-urban migration and elevation of blood pressure a cross-sectional study was carried out with 379 subjects 40--59 years of age in rural areas of East Azarbaijan, northwest Iran. Another cross-sectional study was carried out in Teheran City in which 403 migrants from the same rural areas and also 357 non-migrant urban residents of the same age group from both sexes were examined. Comparison of the three groups showed that, in all age and sex groups, migrants had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure than did the people in the rural areas of origin. The blood pressure levels of migrants and non-migrants in the city were not much different from each other. The effect of other variables on the levels of blood pressure was investigated. Age, sex and body build (as measured by ponderal index) were also associated with blood pressure. None of these factors however explained the differences in blood pressure levels between rural-urban migrants and people in the rural areas of origin.