Europeans tend to have higher blood pressure than North Americans

By Robert Cervin, June 7th, 2013 | Health | 0 Comments

People in Germany are about twice as likely to have high blood pressure than those in the USA.
High blood pressure is an important, and preventable, risk factor for both stroke and heart disease. Researchers in Maywood, Illinois, have analysed several studies on the prevalence of high blood pressure in different countries. They find that high blood pressure is more common in Europe than in the USA and Canada.

The studies covered people aged between 35 and 74. In Germany, the prevalence of high blood pressure was highest, at 55 per cent of the population, followed by Finland with 49 per cent. In England, 42 per cent of the population have high blood pressure and in Italy, 38 per cent. But in the USA, prevalence is lower at 28 per cent and in Canada it is 27 per cent.

Why do we see these striking differences between countries? High blood pressure is a complex condition governed by a mix of genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors. This analysis cannot show why twice as many Germans have high blood pressure compared to North Americans. But investigation of the underlying cause for these national differences should be an urgent research priority.