Familial aggregation of blood pressure. Preliminary report.

Familial aggregation of blood pressure levels has been under study in a random sample of Buffalo families. Spouse aggregation has been demonstrated for couples married more than 15 years. Parent-child aggregation was limited to families in which father and mother had the same systolic blood pressure level in a five-response scale. Aggregation was further limited to parents and sons. In all comparisons in which aggregation was present, it was manifested most strongly in the lower range of systolic blood pressure values.