RELATIONSHIP OF PARENTAL HISTORY OF HIGH BLOOD-PRESSURE TO BLOOD-PRESSURE - COMBINED FINDINGS OF 3 JAPANESE POPULATION SAMPLES, THE INTERSALT STUDY

The relationship of parental history of high blood pressure (HBP) to b lood pressure (BP) was estimated in three Japanese population samples, totalling 591 men and women aged 20-59 years, from the INTERSALT stud y. Parental history of HBP was defined as reported HBP by their father and/or mother. With adjustment for antihypertensive medication, body mass index, alcohol intake, and Na/K ratio in 24-h urine, for particip ants with a parental history of HBP compared to those without a histor y, BP was higher for three to four age-sex strata, both for systolic a nd diastolic pressure (SBP, DBP), by 3.3 to 6.8 and 2.7 to 5.5 mm Hg r espectively, with four of these six positive associations statisticall y significant. This finding was stronger for persons aged 40-59 than f or those aged 20-39, These data support the judgment that for persons with a parental history of HBP, BP is apt to increase more with age du e to combined effects of genetic and environmental factors, Such peopl e especially need to control their lifestyles carefully, including to maintain an optimal intake of salt leg, <70 mmol/day) and a high potas sium intake, to avoid high alcohol consumption, and keep weight modera te, for the prevention of hypertension.