[Prevalence of hypertension in an Indian community in the North of Argentina].

The prevalence of hypertension among adults of both sexes was assessed as part of a primary medical attention program in an Indian Wichi-Chorote community in Santa Victoria Este, province of Salta, Argentina. Arterial blood pressure was measured after a five minutes rest in a sitting position in adults (over 18 years old) of both sexes with a calibrated sphygmomanometer. A total of 522 adults (318 women and 204 men) were evaluated with median age of 43.5 +/- 16.3. The mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) was 125.2 +/- 22.7 mm Hg, and the mean dyastolic blood pressure (DBP) was 76.3 +/- 12.8 mm Hg. Thirty five percent of the people evaluated had normal pressure values (SBP<80 and DBP<120), 37% prehypertensive (SBP 120-139 or DBP 80-89) and 28% hypertensive (SBP > or = 140 or DBP > or = 90). Thirty one percent of the men (mean age: 43.93 +/- 17.11, mean SBP: 126.81 +/- 22.61 and mean DBP: 77.80 +/- 13.33) and 27% of the women studied (mean age: 42.93 +/- 16.3, mean SBP: 124.92 +/- 24.02 and mean DBP: 75.28 +/- 12.57) were hypertense. Fifty nine percent of the people over 65 years of age (n:58) (mean age: 73.15 +/- 6.36, mean SBP: 144.81 +/- 28.72 and mean DBP: 79.68 +/- 13.17) had blood pressure values in the hypertense range. The prevalence of hypertension in the evaluated rural population, suffering extreme demographic and sanitary conditions, is similar to that reported for urbanized societies in the USA but lower than the one reported for other rural areas of our country.