21 Peru
A study was conducted by some anthropologists to determine the long-term effects of a change in environment on blood pressure. In this study they measured the blood pressure of a number of Indians who had migrated from a very primitive environment, high in the Andes mountains of Peru, into the mainstream of Peruvian society, at a much lower altitude.
A previous study in Africa had suggested that migration from a primitive society to a modern one might increase blood pressure at first, but that the blood pressure would tend to decrease back to normal over time.
The anthropologists also measured the height, weight, and a number of other characteristics of the subjects. A portion of their data is given below. All these data are for males over 21 who were born at a high altitude and whose parents were born at a high altitude. The skin-fold measurements were taken as a general measure of obesity. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure usually are studied separately. Systolic is often a more sensitive indicator.
The variables are:
- Age: age in years
- Years: years since migration
- Weight: weight in kilograms
- Height: height in millimeters
- Chin: chin skin fold in millimeters
- Forearm: forearm skin fold in millimeters
- Calf: calf skin fold in millimeters
- Pulse: pulse rate in beats per minute
- Systol: systolic blood pressure
- Diastol: diastolic blood pressure
| Age | Years | Weight | Height | Chin | Forearm | Calf | Pulse | Systol | Diastol |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 1 | 71.0 | 1629 | 8.0 | 7.0 | 12.7 | 88 | 170 | 76 |
| 22 | 6 | 56.5 | 1569 | 3.3 | 5.0 | 8.0 | 64 | 120 | 60 |
| 24 | 5 | 56.0 | 1561 | 3.3 | 1.3 | 4.3 | 68 | 125 | 75 |
| 24 | 1 | 61.0 | 1619 | 3.7 | 3.0 | 4.3 | 52 | 148 | 120 |
| 25 | 1 | 65.0 | 1566 | 9.0 | 12.7 | 20.7 | 72 | 140 | 78 |
| 27 | 19 | 62.0 | 1639 | 3.0 | 3.3 | 5.7 | 72 | 106 | 72 |
| 28 | 5 | 53.0 | 1494 | 7.3 | 4.7 | 8.0 | 64 | 120 | 76 |
| 28 | 25 | 53.0 | 1568 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 0.0 | 80 | 108 | 62 |
| 31 | 6 | 65.0 | 1540 | 10.3 | 9.0 | 10.0 | 76 | 124 | 70 |
| 32 | 13 | 57.0 | 1530 | 5.7 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 60 | 134 | 64 |
| 33 | 13 | 66.5 | 1622 | 6.0 | 5.7 | 8.3 | 68 | 116 | 76 |
| 33 | 10 | 59.1 | 1486 | 6.7 | 5.3 | 10.3 | 72 | 114 | 74 |
| 34 | 15 | 64.0 | 1578 | 3.3 | 5.3 | 7.0 | 88 | 130 | 80 |
| 35 | 18 | 69.5 | 1645 | 9.3 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 60 | 118 | 68 |
| 35 | 2 | 64.0 | 1648 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 6.7 | 60 | 138 | 78 |