Nutritional Survey on the Essential Hypertension in Tohoku (East Northern) Area

Abstract

This report is concerned with the second-year survey on 76 farmers in Yamagata Prefecture conducted twice in the summer and winter of 1956.The results obtained are summarized as follows:(1) The nutritional status of these farmers resulted in deficiencies in animal protein, vitamin A, C, and fat in the one hand, and excesses of carbohydrate and salt in the other hand.(2) Features of the hypertensives were relative fatness and relative high serum cholesterol, and deficiencies in serum vitamin C and serum-cholinesterase(3) It seems that there are two kinds of hypertensives: one of them, is a well-fed city type with a high haemoglobin index and serum protein, and the other, an ill-fed rural type accompanying anaemia.Anyway, as the Japanese generally take a far less amount of fat as compared with Americans and Europeans, the origin of the hypertension cannot be attributed to the overtake of fat as supposed in the case of the European, but this is probably caused by the excessive intake of carbohydrate of the Japanese.