[Prevalence of hypertension and borderline hypertension in students. Comparison with a non-student group]

A blood pressure detection program was conducted at the University of Zurich in June 1978. Three consecutive blood pressure measurements using random-zero mercury sphygmomanometers (n = 4) were performed in 1364 students and 440 other subjects by 8 different investigators. Height and body weight were also measured and used to calculate the body mass index (Quetelet index). Personal history, physical activity, smoking and dietary habits were analyzed with the aid of a questionnaire. In comparison to initially measured values, there was a statistically significant decrease in systolic and diastolic pressure readings as the trial proceeded (p less than 0.001). Based on the mean value of all three measurements, hypertension was observed in only 1.7% of the male and 0.9% of the female students. In the other subjects covered by the trial the comparable values were 7.9% in males and 4.5% in females. The true prevalence of hypertension (addition of those persons with normotensive blood pressure values and simultaneous antihypertensive therapy) was 1.9% in male and 1.1% in female students, whereas 12.0% of the male and 8.5% of the female non-students suffered from hypertension. The prevalence of border-line hypertension (mean value of all three tests) was 7.4% in male and 3.0% in female students. Corresponding values for the other subjects tested were 18.7% (males) and 11.6% (females).