Blood pressure and migration: a study of Bengali immigrants in East London.

The role of blood pressure in explaining the increased risk of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) in Bengali immigrants living in the East End of London was studied in a comparative population study. In addition the effect on blood pressure of age, body mass, and duration of stay in the UK was evaluated. The Bengalis had significantly lower mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures though these differences disappeared after adjustment for age and body mass. Both groups, however, showed similar rises of blood pressure with increasing age and body mass. The effect on blood pressure of duration of time spent in the UK by the Bengalis could not be separated from that due to age, given the association between them. It seems unlikely that increasing duration of stay in inner London per se has a hypertensive effect on Bengali immigrants coming from a rural community. Further, the increased IHD risk in this group is not explained, even in part, by an increase in blood pressure.

High dietary fat intake and cigarette smoking as risk factors for ischaemic heart disease in Bangladeshi male immigrants in East London.

A study was made of smoking and dietary habits in middle aged Bangladeshi men living in East London to investigate possible causes of the previously described high ischaemic heart disease risk in this group. The results showed that these individuals were 50% more likely to smoke than Caucasians living in the same area, after adjusting for age and social class. More striking, however, was the very high fat intake of over 200 g/day, which is twice the national average and accounted for nearly 60% of total energy intake. Interestingly, much of the dietary fat was from vegetable oil, and the ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acids exceeded the accepted recommended minimum.

Low dose infusion of atrial natriuretic peptide causes salt and water excretion in normal man.

1. The effects of low dose infusion of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) were observed in double-blind, placebo-controlled study in six fluid-loaded volunteers. After baseline observations, hourly increments of 0.4, 2 and 10 pmol min-1 kg-1 were infused with continuous observation of heart rate, blood pressure and cardiac output. Plasma ANP, aldosterone, and catecholamines, and urinary volume and sodium excretion, were estimated at half-hourly intervals. 2. ANP infusion resulted in an increase of 35, 98 and 207% in urinary sodium excretion and of 10, 20 and 71% in urinary volume when compared with placebo. Plasma ANP was markedly elevated above placebo levels only during infusion of 10 pmol of ANP min-1 kg-1. 3. No change in heart rate of blood pressure was noted during the study, but a significant fall in stroke volume index was observed during active treatment. Plasma levels of aldosterone and catecholamines were not significantly different on the 2 treatment days. 4. The potent natriuretic and diuretic effects of this peptide at plasma concentrations not significantly elevated from physiological suggest a hormonal role for ANP in the homoeostasis of salt and water balance.