For most of our lives, blood pressure tends to rise steadily from childhood through middle age. But what happens as we grow older?
Scientists from the University of Exeter have uncovered a surprising trend: in older adults, blood pressure gradually begins to decline about 14 years before they pass away. This finding offers new insights into aging and health.
Previously, researchers observed that blood pressure might decrease in older adults, but they often attributed this to medical treatments for high blood pressure.
To dig deeper, the team studied the medical records of 46,634 individuals in Britain who died at age 60 or older. The records included people with a variety of health conditions, such as heart disease and dementia, as well as healthy individuals.
The researchers found that the sharpest drops in blood pressure occurred in those with serious health conditions, such as dementia, heart failure, and significant weight loss later in life.
People who had previously been diagnosed with high blood pressure also showed marked declines. However, the study revealed that even healthy individuals without these conditions experienced a long-term drop in blood pressure in the years leading up to their death.
This discovery challenges the assumption that falling blood pressure in older adults is solely linked to illnesses or early death in those with hypertension. Instead, it appears to be a natural part of the aging process, affecting both healthy and ill individuals alike.
Understanding this pattern is important for doctors when caring for older patients. A drop in blood pressure might not always signal a need to stop treatment or change medication but could instead indicate underlying changes related to aging.
The researchers emphasize the importance of evaluating each patient individually to determine what a decline in blood pressure means for their overall health.
However, this does not mean that older adults should stop managing high blood pressure or discontinue their medications.
The researchers caution that more studies are needed to fully understand why blood pressure behaves this way in later life and how best to respond to these changes.
For those interested in learning more about blood pressure, other studies have shown that lifestyle factors like drinking black tea might significantly reduce blood pressure.
On the other hand, certain high blood pressure medications could increase the risk of heart failure in some patients, highlighting the complexity of treatment decisions.
This study, led by Professor George Kuchel and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine, provides valuable insights into the natural trajectory of blood pressure in older adults.
It underscores the need for personalized care and ongoing research to better support healthy aging.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about unhealthy habits that could increase high blood pressure risk, and people with severe high blood pressure should reduce coffee intake.
For more information about blood pressure, please see recent studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and results showing plant-based foods could benefit people with high blood pressure.
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