Body weight, blood pressure, and electrolyte excretion of young adults from six ethnic groups in Hawaii

• Published in: The American journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 45; no. 1; pp. 126 - 130
• Main Authors: Young, F, Lichton, I J, Hamilton, R M, Dorrough, S A, Alford, E J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Elsevier Inc 01-01-1987; American Society for Clinical Nutrition
• Subjects: Adult; ADULTE; ADULTOS; Anthropology. Demography; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Pressure; Body Height; Body Weight; Diet; ELECTROLITOS; ELECTROLYTE; Electrolytes - urine; Ethnic Groups; ETHNICITE; EXCRECION; EXCRETION; Female; GRUPOS ETNICOS; HAWAI; HAWAII; Human physiology applied to population studies and life conditions. Human ecophysiology; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; PESO; POIDS; Potassium - urine; PRESION SANGUINEA; PRESSION SANGUINE; Sodium - urine; Hawaii; Human; Excretion; Electrolyte; Polynesia; Body weight; Young adult; Hawaii; Anthropology; Blood pressure; Ethnic group; Comparative study; Oceania
• ISSN: 0002-9165; 1938-3207
• DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/45.1.126

There is positive correlation between high dietary intake of sodium and prevalence of hypertensive disease. Dietary potassium shows a negative correlation with this prevalence. Racial background of subjects may affect such relationships. This is a study of the relationships between ethnicity and blood pressure in young adults of six ethnic groups in Hawaii. Body weight, electrolyte excretion, which may reflect intake, and blood pressure of the subjects are reported here. Caucasians and Hawaiians and part-Hawaiian young adults tended to be taller and heavier than the Chinese, Filipinos, Japanese, and Koreans. Both systolic and diastolic pressures were significantly higher in males than in females (all races combined). No significant differences between sexes or races were found in urinary excretion of sodium and potassium or in urinary sodium:potassium ratios. Body weight and Quetelet’s Index but not sodium:potassium ratio correlated significantly with diastolic pressure.