Does systolic blood pressure relate more strongly to death than diastolic blood pressure?
Systolic blood pressure is more strongly associated with mortality than diastolic blood pressure over a 17-year follow-up.
Blood pressure was recorded in 2680 people over a period of 17 years. Of 685 deaths, 250 occurred in men over 65 and 148 (58%) were attributed to cardiovascular causes. 219 women over 65 died; 157 (72%) from cardiovascular causes. For both sexes chi-square values relating death to systolic blood pressure were higher than the values for diastolic pressure. (Ed.)
W. E. Miall (Fri,) studied this question.