Association between antihypertensive medication use and non-cardiovascular outcomes in older men.
BACKGROUND
Antihypertensive drugs are prescribed commonly in older adults for their beneficial cardiovascular and cerebrovascular effects, but few studies have assessed antihypertensive drugs' adverse effects on non-cardiovascular outcomes in routine clinical practice.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate, among older adults, the association between antihypertensive medication use and physical performance, cognition, and mood.


METHODS
Prospective cohort study in a Veterans Affairs primary care clinic, with patients enrolled in 2000-2001 and assessed for medication use, comorbidities, health behaviors, and other characteristics; and followed-up 1 year later.


METHODS
544 community-dwelling hypertensive men over age 65 years.


METHODS
Timed chair stands; Trail Making Test part B; and Centers for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scores.


RESULTS
Participants had a mean age of 74.4 +/- 5.2 years and took a mean of 2.3 +/- 1.2 antihypertensive medications at baseline. After adjustment for age, comorbidities, level of blood pressure, and other confounders, each 1-unit increase in antihypertensive medication "intensity" was associated with a 0.11-second (95% confidence interval, 0.05-0.16) increase in the time required to complete the timed chair stands. No significant relationship was found between antihypertensive medication intensity and outcomes for Trail Making B or CES-D scores.


CONCLUSIONS
A higher cumulative exposure to antihypertensive medications in community-living older men was associated with adverse effects on physical performance, but not on the cognitive or depression measures available in this study. Clinicians should consider non-cardiovascular related adverse effects when treating older males taking multiple antihypertensive medications.
Agostini
Joseph V
JV
Clinical Epidemiology Research Center 151B, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, 950 Campbell Avenue, West Haven, CT, USA. joseph.agostini@yale.edu
Tinetti
Mary E
ME
Han
Ling
L
Peduzzi
Peter
P
Foody
Joanne M
JM
Concato
John
J
D000368:Aged; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000139:chemically induced*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents