Observations on the Blood Pressure of Tibetans

Abstract

Observations on the blood pressure of a group of 660 displaced male Tibetans revealed striking dissimilarities in regard to the mean systolic and diastolic figures as compared to those reported for Europeans and Americans. The average Tibetan figures are lower than those of Western populations; however, a comparable variability after the fourth decade and a parallel spread of values with age and weight were found in the Tibetan data. The socioeconomic status and height bore no relation to the blood pressure levels. The results obtained from this survey on the Tibetans are compared with those of other Mongolian groups. It is suggested that the differences of blood pressure among related Mongolian groups and populations studied in the West are largely determined by environment.