Blood pressure in the Australian- and Italian-born: A Melbourne suburb revisited after 20 years

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate changes in the average blood pressure of Australian-born and Italian-born men and women after a 20-year interval, in the same location, the Melbourne suburb of Brunswick, located about five km north of the centre of the city. Data pertaining to blood pressure and its control were obtained from all Australian- and Italian-born residents of Brunswick enrolled in the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study between 1990 and 1994. Comparisons were made with published data from a random household survey in Brunswick in 1972. Within the age group 40 to 59 years (in contrast to the earlier study) average blood pressure was significantly higher in Italian-born me..