Diet and hypertension in Tanzania.

A survey was conducted on an urban population in the city of Dar es Salaam and on a rural community in both Handeni and the pastoral Masai in Monduli to investigate the relationship between diet and hypertension in Tanzania. Blood pressure (BP) was measured using an automatic BP-measuring machine. Biological markers of dietary intake were measured in 24-h urine and in blood. Hypertension was noted to be a bigger problem in the capital city, where the rate of obesity and salt intake were higher whereas potassium, protein, and polyunsaturated fatty acid intake were lower. Therefore, attention to dietary habits may reduce the growing problem of hypertension in Tanzania.