OBJECTIVE: Cardiovascular risks are globally elevated in South Asians, but this masks important ethnic subgroup differences in risk factors, such as @entity101 , which have not been fully explored. We conducted this study to explore the variations in @entity101 within ethnic subgroups among South Asians. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey [National Health Survey of Pakistan (NHSP) (1990-1994)]. SETTING: Population based. @entity1 : A total of 9442 individuals aged 15 years or over. METHODS: Data on sociodemographic and clinical variables were collected. Distinct ethnic subgroups - Muhajir, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashtun and Baluchi - were defined by mother tongue. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: @entity101 defined as systolic blood pressure >or= 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure >or= 90 mmHg, or currently receiving antihypertensive therapy. RESULTS: The age-standardized prevalence of @entity101 was highest among Baluchis (25.3% in @entity1 and 41.4% in @entity1 ), then Pashtuns (23.7% in @entity1 and 28.4% in @entity1 ), Muhajirs (24.1% in @entity1 and 24.6% in @entity1 ), and lowest among Punjabis (17.3% in @entity1 and 16.4% in @entity1 ) and Sindhis (19.0% in @entity1 and 9.9% in @entity1 ) (P = 0.001). While @entity101 was more prevalent in urban (22.7%) versus rural dwellers (18.1%) [odds ratio (OR) 1.34; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.20, 1.49], this difference was no longer significant after adjusting for body mass and waist circumference (OR 1.03; 95% CI, 0.91, 1.16). However, ethnic differences persisted after adjusting for major sociodemographic, dietary and clinical risk factors (unadjusted OR for Baluchi versus Sindhi, 2.92; 95% CI, 2.20-3.89; adjusted OR, 2.71; 95% CI, 1.97-3.75). CONCLUSIONS: A threefold difference in prevalence of @entity101 exists between @entity1 of South Asian descent, which, unlike the urban/rural difference, cannot be accounted for by measured risk factors. Further study would provide valuable etiological and therapeutic clues.

Ethnic subgroup differences in XXXX in Pakistan.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['women', 'PARTICIPANTS', 'people', 'men'] @entity101 :: ('MESH:D006973', 'Disease') :: ['hypertension', 'Hypertension']
@entity101 :: (MESH:D006973,Disease) :: ['hypertension']
