Heredity, stress and blood pressure, a family set method--IV : Blood pressure adjustment techniques

Abstract

This fourth article, in a series of five, reports on the statistical adjustments useful in analyzing blood pressure data from family sets. Blood pressure level has been associated with numerous demographic, physiologic, medical history, socioeconomic, temporal and genetic characteristics. To assess the effect of a subset of these characteristics on blood pressure, it is necessary to control for the remaining variables. Statistical methods, including categorization, standardization and regression, are presented as approaches toward adjusting blood pressure readings for sources of variation deemed concomitant. The ultimate, long-range purpose of these procedures is to separate genetic from environmental components of blood pressure.