title: Inter-Arm Blood Pressure Difference in Hospitalized Elderly Patients Is Not Associated With Excess Mortality.
abstract: Inter-arm blood pressure difference (IAD) has been found to be associated with cardiovascular mortality. Its clinical significance and association with mortality in the elderly is not well defined. This study evaluated the association of IAD with mortality in a cohort of hospitalized elderly individuals. Blood pressure (BP) was measured simultaneously in both arms in elderly individuals (older than 65 years) hospitalized in a geriatric ward from October 2012 to July 2014. During the study period, 445 patients, mostly women (54.8%) with a mean age of 85±5 years, were recruited. Systolic and diastolic IAD were >10 mm Hg in 102 (22.9%) and 76 (17.1%) patients, respectively. Patients were followed for an average of 342±201 days. During follow-up, 102 patients (22.9%) died. Mortality was not associated with systolic or diastolic IAD. It is therefore questionable whether BP should be routinely measured in both arms in the elderly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petach Tikva, Israel.|Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Avraham
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.affiliation: Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.|Department of Internal Medicine E, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petach Tikva, Israel.
authors.forename: Alon
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grossman
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petach Tikva, Israel.|Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Yichayaou
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Beloosesky
authors.affiliation: Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.|Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Nira
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Koren-Morag
authors.affiliation: Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.|Department of Internal Medicine E, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petach Tikva, Israel.
authors.forename: Hefziba
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Green
authors.affiliation: Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.|Internal Medicine D and Hypertension Unit, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
authors.forename: Ehud
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grossman
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001132:Arm / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination / Q000379:methods*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003971:Diastole / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology