title: Relationship between blood pressure and frailty in older hypertensive outpatients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The benefits and risks of treating hypertension in old and frail patients are debated.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study is to measure the frailty status in older patients with hypertension and determine the relationships existing between blood pressure (BP) values and frailty.
  
  
  METHODS
  Frailty was retrospectively assessed by using the frailty index (FI) in 56 hypertensive old outpatients. Patients with an FI > 0.25 were classified as frail.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-five out of 56 (80%) had a FI > 0.25. A statistically significant inverse correlation was found between FI and systolic BP (r = -0.319, p = 0.016), orthostatic systolic BP (r = -0.408, p = 0.002), orthostatic diastolic BP (r = -0.299, p = 0.025), and orthostatic pulse pressure (r = -0.297, p = 0.026).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Frailer subjects appear as over-treated according to current European guidelines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FI can play an important role in the clinical setting by supporting the identification of subjects at risk and allowing an improved provision of adapted and personalized care.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Geriatrics, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria n., Policlinico pad B, 98125, Messina, Italy. giorgio.basile@unime.it.|Gérontopôle, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, Toulouse, France. giorgio.basile@unime.it.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0040-8618
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Basile
authors.affiliation: Unit of Geriatrics, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria n., Policlinico pad B, 98125, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Catalano
authors.affiliation: Unit of Internal Medicine, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mandraffino
authors.affiliation: Unit for Metabolic Medicine, Cardiovascular Division, King's College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maltese
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alibrandi
authors.affiliation: Unit of Geriatrics, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria n., Policlinico pad B, 98125, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuliana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ciancio
authors.affiliation: Unit of Geriatrics, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria n., Policlinico pad B, 98125, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lasco
authors.affiliation: Gérontopôle, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, Toulouse, France.|Université de Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France.|Geriatric Unit, Fondazione Ca' Granda, IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cesari
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001795:Blood Pressure Determination; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly; D000073496:Frailty / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D010045:Outpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents
keywords: Blood pressure; Elderly; Frailty; Frailty index; Hypertension