[Determinants of arterial blood pressure in a negative Andean population].

The joint effect of adiposity, high altitude, age and indigently on systolic and diastolic blood pressure is studied in an Indian population living at high altitude in Northern Chile. Adiposity (Quetelet's index), accounted for the highest percentage of explained variability, followed by high altitude and age. Indigently was shown to have an insignificant effect on blood pressure, indicating that Andean aboriginal populations did not differ genetically from lowland populations with respect to this variable.