Changes in Blood Pressure of Young Men Over a Seven Year Period

In 1925, Sutherland and one of us (Dr. Diehl)¹published an analysis of the systolic blood pressures of 5,122 male students of the University of Minnesota. The study showed that although most college students give normal blood pressure readings at all times, some have systolic pressures which are persistently above 140 mm.; others, systolic pressures persistently between 130 and 140 mm.; others, pressures intermittently above 130 mm.; and still others, pressures above 130 mm. on only one occasion. The significance of these moderate, intermittent and transient elevations of blood pressure in young persons was discussed at that time, but it was concluded that only follow-up studies over many years could finally determine whether these were unimportant or whether they represented an early stage of persistent hypertension. We are now reporting the first of a series of follow-up studies of blood pressure in college students. In this study determinations of