Blood Pressure Found to Increase Disability Later in Life

by | Jul 1, 2008 | 2007, Blood Pressure, Cardiovascular Health

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Researchers found that high blood pressure increases the risk of disability by 36%.

In the United States, more than 50% of people older than 65 years of age have limitation in greater than one functional activity.  Regarding these risks for functional limitation and disability, research (1,2,3), including the Framingham Disability Study (4), has shown stroke to be significantly associated with increased risk for disability and loss of independence in older people.

But no research focused on high blood pressure’s role in disability.  This is a very important because more than 65% of older adults in the United States have high blood pressure (HBP) (5), (defined as having a blood pressure above 140/90 mm Hg) and high?  Blood pressure is known to cost our healthcare system more than $24 billion each year (6).  Now a new study (7) has increased the relationship between high blood pressure and increased risks of disability.

Previous research from the Framingham study showed that elderly African Americans are more likely to report both limitations in activities of daily living (ADL) (8) and HBP (5).  Other research showed a reduction in cardiovascular disease risk in older adults when blood pressure is controlled (9).  Building on these findings, researchers examined data on 999 patients who participated in the Charleston Heart Study.  In addition to having their blood pressure measured at each doctor visit throughout the study, the patients provided information on demographics, weight, height, educational level, marital status, retirement status, access to health care, and alcohol and tobacco use.  Patients’ functional ability were assessed on three different scales: the Nagi’s Congruency in Medical and Self Assessment of Disability (10), the Rosow-Breslaw Scale (11) and Katz’ ADL Scale (12).

The researchers found that uncontrolled HBP (those taking HBP medications but still having a blood pressure greater than 140/90 mm Hg) were at significant risks for developing disability across all three scales compared to those with normal blood pressure.  Specifically, researchers found a 36% increased risk using the Nagi scale, 63% increased risk for the Rosow-Breslaw scale, and 25% increased risk for the Katz ADL scale.

For the researchers, “In stroke-free older adults, systolic blood pressure increases are associated with greater functional decline” and that “Older adults with uncontrolled hypertension are at a particularly increased risk for disability.”

Fortunately, a number of ways are currently available to help keep your blood pressure in normal range, including fiber (13), pycnogenol (14), fish oil (15), soy protein (16), soy nuts (17), and flaxseed (18).

Source: Hajjar, Ihab, Daniel T. Lackland, L. Adrienne Cupples, and Lewis A. Lipsitz. “Association between concurrent and remote blood pressure and disability in older adults.” Hypertension 50, no. 6 (2007): 1026-1032.

© 2007 American Heart Association, Inc.

Posted July 1, 2008.

References:

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