title: Clinical significance of falling blood pressure among older adults.
abstract: We assessed the prevalence of falling blood pressure among older adults and its relationship to subsequent outcomes, using public use data from four sites of the Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly. Seventeen percent of subjects had a decrease in systolic blood pressure of 20 mm Hg or greater and 22% had a decrease in diastolic blood pressure of 10 mm Hg or greater between year 0 and year 3. Falling systolic and diastolic blood pressure was associated with increased all-cause mortality (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.3, 1.7), cardiovascular mortality (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.3, 1.9) and all cardiovascular events (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.2, 1.6) in the subsequent 3 years (years 4 to 6). Increasing amount of fall in blood pressure was associated with increasing risk of mortality. The magnitude of effect of falling blood pressure on adverse outcomes declined and became nonsignificant after adjusting for comorbidity and functional status at baseline. Thus, falling blood pressure is common among older adults and is a marker for underlying poor health and subsequent mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Sealy Center on Aging, 301 University Blvd., The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555-0460, USA. ssatish@utmb.edu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Satish
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Goodwin
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001900:Boston / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003237:Connecticut / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D007022:Hypotension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality*; D007484:Iowa / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009657:North Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D009735:Nursing Homes; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution