Prevalence of hypertension in some cross-cultural populations of Visakhapatnam district, South India.

Hypertension is becoming a major public health problem in developing countries. Blood pressure tends to vary cross-culturally and, as yet, none of the studies from India, particularly those from the state of Andhra Pradesh, has attempted to address the influence of acculturation/modernization on the prevalence of hypertension. The present study investigates the prevalence of hypertension in some cross-cultural populations of Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh, India, and to report the influence of acculturation/modernization on hypertension prevalence. One thousand three hundred sixteen individuals (646 men and 670 women), belonging to 2 tribal and 2 caste groups (from both rural and urban areas), were surveyed for hypertension prevalence. The recommendations of JNC-VI were utilized to classify participants by different categories of hypertension. A substantial proportion (21%) of the individuals exhibited various stages of hypertension. There are considerable differences between these cross-cultural populations, particularly between tribes and castes. The results confirmed the hypothesis that acculturation/modernization may elevate the risk of hypertension, and that prevalence is generally low among traditional population groups. The risk of hypertension increased for those aged 45 years and older, and this risk was greater for women, compared to men.