Circadian rhythm of blood pressure and life style: A study of clinically healthy subjects living in rural and industrialized countries

The aim of this study is to investigate how the blood pressure (BP) circadian rhythm (CR) is influenced by life style. Two groups of subjects were recruited from Nepal and Japan because of the extremely different occupational routines of these countries. The Nepalese represent a rural culture, while the Japanese reflect an industrialized civilization. Both the ethnic groups have in common a high dietary sodium intake. The BP monitoring was estimated according to chronobiological methods. Results provide evidence for a phase difference in BP CR which is coherent with the life style in the two groups. Furthermore, the estimates demonstrate that the Japanese show a higher level in daily BP which is related to the greater number of hours in which they are active. These findings may be taken into account for better deciphering of what is the role of life style on BP physiology in human beings.