Blood pressure in Afghan male immigrants to Denmark

Ali Asmar; Jens Bülow; Lene Simonsen; Niels J Christensen; Erik Frandsen; Peter Norsk

doi:10.1111/cpf.12055

Blood pressure in Afghan male immigrants to Denmark

Ali Asmar, Jens Bülow, Lene Simonsen, Niels J Christensen, Erik Frandsen, Peter Norsk

Endocrinology and Metabolism

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Purpose: Immigration from a Third-World society to a Western society can be associated with higher blood pressure and salt sensitivity. We therefore tested whether immigrants from Afghanistan to Denmark compared with non-immigrant Danes exhibit a (i) higher 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (24-h ABP) and (ii) blunted renin response to a change in salt intake. Methods: Twenty-four-hour ABP was measured in 40 men of Afghan (Afghans) and 40 men of Danish (Danes) origin. Each group was divided into young (20-30 years, n = 20) and middle aged (40-60 years, n = 20). A 3-day low (70 mmol per 24-h) and a 3-day high (250 mmol per 24-h) salt intake were in addition instituted in subgroups of the young groups (n = 18). Results: Young and middle-aged Afghans exhibited a lower 24-h mean arterial pressure (24-h MAP) than the same respective age groups of Danes (83 ± 1 versus 90 ± 1 mm Hg, P<0·05, and 89 ± 2 versus 100 ± 1 mm Hg, P<0·05). 24-h ABP did not change in any of the young groups during increased salt intake, whereas the Danes exhibited a greater decrease in plasma renin activity (PRA) (P<0·05). Plasma noradrenaline (P_NA) was significantly higher among the young Afghans. Conclusions: Afghan immigrants to Denmark exhibit a lower 24-h ABP than Danes. In young Afghans, PRA is less sensitive to changes in salt intake, while P_NA is higher and may reflect their lower systolic blood pressure and/or arterial pulse pressure. Whether these hormonal differences can explain the lower 24-h ABP in Afghans should be further explored.

Original language	English
Journal	Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging
Volume	33
Issue number	6
Pages (from-to)	470-7
Number of pages	8
ISSN	1475-0961
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/cpf.12055
Publication status	Published - Nov 2013

Keywords

Adult
Afghanistan
Age Factors
Biological Markers
Blood Pressure
Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory
Denmark
Emigrants and Immigrants
Humans
Hypertension
Male
Middle Aged
Norepinephrine
Renin
Risk Factors
Sex Factors
Sodium Chloride, Dietary
Time Factors
Young Adult

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1111/cpf.12055

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/cpf.12055

Cite this

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title = "Blood pressure in Afghan male immigrants to Denmark",

abstract = "Purpose: Immigration from a Third-World society to a Western society can be associated with higher blood pressure and salt sensitivity. We therefore tested whether immigrants from Afghanistan to Denmark compared with non-immigrant Danes exhibit a (i) higher 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (24-h ABP) and (ii) blunted renin response to a change in salt intake. Methods: Twenty-four-hour ABP was measured in 40 men of Afghan (Afghans) and 40 men of Danish (Danes) origin. Each group was divided into young (20-30 years, n = 20) and middle aged (40-60 years, n = 20). A 3-day low (70 mmol per 24-h) and a 3-day high (250 mmol per 24-h) salt intake were in addition instituted in subgroups of the young groups (n = 18). Results: Young and middle-aged Afghans exhibited a lower 24-h mean arterial pressure (24-h MAP) than the same respective age groups of Danes (83 ± 1 versus 90 ± 1 mm Hg, P<0·05, and 89 ± 2 versus 100 ± 1 mm Hg, P<0·05). 24-h ABP did not change in any of the young groups during increased salt intake, whereas the Danes exhibited a greater decrease in plasma renin activity (PRA) (P<0·05). Plasma noradrenaline (PNA) was significantly higher among the young Afghans. Conclusions: Afghan immigrants to Denmark exhibit a lower 24-h ABP than Danes. In young Afghans, PRA is less sensitive to changes in salt intake, while PNA is higher and may reflect their lower systolic blood pressure and/or arterial pulse pressure. Whether these hormonal differences can explain the lower 24-h ABP in Afghans should be further explored.",

keywords = "Adult, Afghanistan, Age Factors, Biological Markers, Blood Pressure, Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory, Denmark, Emigrants and Immigrants, Humans, Hypertension, Male, Middle Aged, Norepinephrine, Renin, Risk Factors, Sex Factors, Sodium Chloride, Dietary, Time Factors, Young Adult",

author = "Ali Asmar and Jens B{\"u}low and Lene Simonsen and Christensen, {Niels J} and Erik Frandsen and Peter Norsk",

note = "{\textcopyright} 2013 Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.",

year = "2013",

month = nov,

doi = "10.1111/cpf.12055",

language = "English",

volume = "33",

pages = "470--7",

journal = "Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging",

issn = "1475-0961",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",

number = "6",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Blood pressure in Afghan male immigrants to Denmark

AU - Asmar, Ali

AU - Bülow, Jens

AU - Simonsen, Lene

AU - Christensen, Niels J

AU - Frandsen, Erik

AU - Norsk, Peter

PY - 2013/11

Y1 - 2013/11

N2 - Purpose: Immigration from a Third-World society to a Western society can be associated with higher blood pressure and salt sensitivity. We therefore tested whether immigrants from Afghanistan to Denmark compared with non-immigrant Danes exhibit a (i) higher 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (24-h ABP) and (ii) blunted renin response to a change in salt intake. Methods: Twenty-four-hour ABP was measured in 40 men of Afghan (Afghans) and 40 men of Danish (Danes) origin. Each group was divided into young (20-30 years, n = 20) and middle aged (40-60 years, n = 20). A 3-day low (70 mmol per 24-h) and a 3-day high (250 mmol per 24-h) salt intake were in addition instituted in subgroups of the young groups (n = 18). Results: Young and middle-aged Afghans exhibited a lower 24-h mean arterial pressure (24-h MAP) than the same respective age groups of Danes (83 ± 1 versus 90 ± 1 mm Hg, P<0·05, and 89 ± 2 versus 100 ± 1 mm Hg, P<0·05). 24-h ABP did not change in any of the young groups during increased salt intake, whereas the Danes exhibited a greater decrease in plasma renin activity (PRA) (P<0·05). Plasma noradrenaline (PNA) was significantly higher among the young Afghans. Conclusions: Afghan immigrants to Denmark exhibit a lower 24-h ABP than Danes. In young Afghans, PRA is less sensitive to changes in salt intake, while PNA is higher and may reflect their lower systolic blood pressure and/or arterial pulse pressure. Whether these hormonal differences can explain the lower 24-h ABP in Afghans should be further explored.

AB - Purpose: Immigration from a Third-World society to a Western society can be associated with higher blood pressure and salt sensitivity. We therefore tested whether immigrants from Afghanistan to Denmark compared with non-immigrant Danes exhibit a (i) higher 24-h ambulatory blood pressure (24-h ABP) and (ii) blunted renin response to a change in salt intake. Methods: Twenty-four-hour ABP was measured in 40 men of Afghan (Afghans) and 40 men of Danish (Danes) origin. Each group was divided into young (20-30 years, n = 20) and middle aged (40-60 years, n = 20). A 3-day low (70 mmol per 24-h) and a 3-day high (250 mmol per 24-h) salt intake were in addition instituted in subgroups of the young groups (n = 18). Results: Young and middle-aged Afghans exhibited a lower 24-h mean arterial pressure (24-h MAP) than the same respective age groups of Danes (83 ± 1 versus 90 ± 1 mm Hg, P<0·05, and 89 ± 2 versus 100 ± 1 mm Hg, P<0·05). 24-h ABP did not change in any of the young groups during increased salt intake, whereas the Danes exhibited a greater decrease in plasma renin activity (PRA) (P<0·05). Plasma noradrenaline (PNA) was significantly higher among the young Afghans. Conclusions: Afghan immigrants to Denmark exhibit a lower 24-h ABP than Danes. In young Afghans, PRA is less sensitive to changes in salt intake, while PNA is higher and may reflect their lower systolic blood pressure and/or arterial pulse pressure. Whether these hormonal differences can explain the lower 24-h ABP in Afghans should be further explored.

KW - Adult

KW - Afghanistan

KW - Age Factors

KW - Biological Markers

KW - Blood Pressure

KW - Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory

KW - Denmark

KW - Emigrants and Immigrants

KW - Humans

KW - Hypertension

KW - Male

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Norepinephrine

KW - Renin

KW - Risk Factors

KW - Sex Factors

KW - Sodium Chloride, Dietary

KW - Time Factors

KW - Young Adult

U2 - 10.1111/cpf.12055

DO - 10.1111/cpf.12055

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 23710544

SN - 1475-0961

VL - 33

SP - 470

EP - 477

JO - Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging

JF - Clinical Physiology and Functional Imaging

IS - 6

ER -

Blood pressure in Afghan male immigrants to Denmark

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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