Blood pressure in blacks and whites and its relationship to dietary sodium and potassium intake

The 24-hour dietary intake and blood pressure of 1928 black and 9739 white adults derived from the data sets of the first US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES I) of 1971-1974 were analyzed. Contrary to expectation, the absolute and relative intakes of sodium and potassium in blacks were less than those of whites. However, because the difference in potassium was greater than the difference in sodium, blacks did have a significantly higher sodium/potassium ratio than whites. Blacks had significantly higher blood pressure than whites even when adjusted for differences in sodium/potassium ratio. It is concluded that the higher blood pressure and prevalence of hypertension in blacks does not appear to be a function of an absolutely greater dietary sodium intake, but related to a relatively low intake of potassium. It is possible that blacks have a greater sensitivity than whites to the hypertensinogenic effects of sodium which, coupled with the relatively low dietary intake of potassium, accounts for their increased blood pressure.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/25014/1/0000441.pd

Role of Gynecological Age and Growth Maturity Status in Fetal Maturation and Prenatal Growth of Infants Born to Young Still-Growing Adolescent Mothers

To investigate the determinants of fetal maturation of infants born to adolescent mothers, we studied the obstetric population attended at the Maternity Hospital of Lima, Peru. From this population we selected for inclusion in this study a sample of 412 adolescent mothers ranging in age from 13 to 15 years. These subjects were selected because the anthropometric measurements of their parents were obtained at the time the adolescents were being attended for delivery. This study indicates that gynecological age per se does not affect newborn maturity and newborn size. However, as inferred from multiple regression analyses, low gynecological age, when associated with incomplete maternal growth, does result in reduction of birth weight. This finding supports the hypothesis that among young immature still­growing adolescents there is a competition for nutrients between the growth needs of the mother and those of the fetus. Since this competition does not occur among adolescents who have completed their growth, the present findings can not be applied to all teenagers