The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7250 p711
24 May 2003

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BP higher in Europe than in America

Average blood pressure (BP) levels are higher in European countries, including England, than they are in North America, according to a review of eight national surveys.

The surveys were carried out between 1986 and 1999 in a number of European countries, Canada and the United States, involving between 1,800 and 23,000 people in each.

Looking at the figures overall, an American research team found clear differences between systolic blood pressures in European countries compared with North America. Mean systolic and diastolic pressures were higher in Europe across the entire age range (35–74 years) with average values of 136/83mmHg compared with 127/77mmHg. The difference in mean systolic BP already existed among those aged 35 to 39 years old (9mmHg) and by the age of 65 years this difference had risen to 13mmHg.

Within Europe, the highest prevalence of hypertension (BPŽ140/90mmHg or treatment with antihypertensives) was in Germany (55 per cent), followed by Finland (49), Spain (47), England (42), Sweden (38) and Italy (38). Prevalences in the United States and Canada were half the rate in Germany at 28 and 27 per cent, respectively.

The researchers note that the prevalence of hypertension in these countries is closely correlated with deaths from stroke: 41.2 per 100,000 population in Europe against 27.6 per 100,000 in North America.

The researchers comment that despite the limitations of individual studies, they believe that the contrasts they found "are real and of substantial magnitude". They say that BP has been noted to be falling in the US over the past 20 years and that this may be due to more aggressive BP guidelines being followed (JAMA 2003;289:2363).