Abstract
College Students aged 18-30 years were screened for hypertension at the student infirmary. 550 students had a single blood pressure reading taken in the sitting position. 50 students (9%) fulfilled our definition of high blood pressure by having either a systolic pressure equal to or greater than 140 mm/Hg or a diastolic pressure equal to or greater than 90 mm/Hg. Of these students with abnormal blood pressures, 34 returned for 2 further determinations. 22/34 (65%) demonstrated persistent hypertension during each of the three visits. Of those with persistent hypertension, 6/22 (27%) had an elevation of the systolic pressure, 4/22 (18%) had an elevation of the diastolic pressure and 12/22 (54%) had an elevation of both when initially screened. Of the 12 students without persistence of hypertension (labile), 3/12 (25%) had an elevated systolic pressure, 4/22 (33%) had an elevated diastolic pressure, and 5/22 (43%) had an elevation of both.
Only 3/22 (14%) of the students with persistent and none with labile hypertension had a diastolic pressure equal to or greater than 105 mm/Hg on the initial screening pressure, indicating hypertension is usually mild in this age group. The type of hypertension (systolic, diastolic, or both) does not allow the identification of those individuals who have labile or persistent hypertension.
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Williams, R., Sorgen, C., Garin, E. et al. SCREENING FOR HYPERTENSION IN UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA STUDENTS. Pediatr Res 11, 559 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-01137
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197704000-01137