The relation of norepinephrine to blood pressure is independent of acculturation in Western Samoan men.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether the relationships between the rates of urinary catecholamine excretion and blood pressure were similar in more traditionally living and more acculturated Western Samoan men. The men studied included 31 traditionally living villagers and 28 laborers, 33 sedentary workers, and 31 college students from Apia, the capital of Western Samoa. The results show that norepinephrine was associated with systolic pressure at midmorning, independent of fatness, age, activity, and degree of Westernization. These findings suggest that the relationships between catecholamines and blood pressure are unaffected by acculturation in Western Samoan men.