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Backeround: Coronary heart disease (CHD) in South Africa has reached "epidemic" proportions. CHD is uncommon in the black population of South Africa, yet the prevalence of hypertension in the adult black population is high. Desien: This study compared the blood pressure (BP) profile in 154 medical students 83 Indians (1), 71 blacks (B), 87 males (50 I, 37 B), and 67 females (33 I, 34 B) age 21 (SD 1. 6), using the cuff method and 24 hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). Methods: All students underwent ABPM. Biochemical studies for risk factors CHD were done. Electrocardiography (ECG) was done in all subjects and echocardiography in 90 subjects. Results: The ABPM showed that black students had higher systolic and diastolic BP during the whole day, night and critical time periods compared with the Indian students. Blood pressure load was higher in black (40. 8%) compared to Indian subjects (29. 6%) (p _ 1~/8s and _< 14/90) had statistically higher serum triglyceride and lee ventricular mass than normotensives. Conclusions: Young blacks have higher BP readings than young Indian subjects in the absence of metabolic abnormalities and had greater cardiac involvement. Borderline hypertension is not innocuous. Metabolic risk factors for CHD in Indians begin at an early age. This study emphasises the need for prevention of risk factors leading to CHD at an early age.
Y K Seedat (Thu,) studied this question.