title: Relationship between low blood pressure and depressive symptomatology in older people.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if low blood pressure is associated with a definable constellation of somatic and psychological symptoms in older persons.
  
  
  METHODS
  A population-based study.
  
  
  METHODS
  In-home interviews in five southwestern states.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 2723 Mexican Americans aged 65 or older not living in institutions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood pressure, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), global self-rating of health, and self-esteem.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bivariate analyses indicate a significant relationship between low blood pressure and increased depressive symptomatology; for example, systolic hypotensive subjects scored a CES-D mean of 12.07 +/- .67 compared to 8.99 +/- .95 for normotensives (P < .01). Regression analyses supported these findings when controlling for confounders such as gender, age, and use of antihypertensive medications. Subjects with low blood pressure also scored lower on self-esteem and global self-reported health and reported more days waking up feeling tired.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data support the existence of a relationship between low blood pressure and higher levels of depressive symptomatology as well as a constellation of somatic and psychosocial symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Center on Aging, and Department of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77555-0664, USA.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Stroup-Benham
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Markides
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Goodwin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007022:Hypotension / Q000150:complications* / Q000208:ethnology*; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015206:Southwestern United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents