As people grow older, their blood pressure usually increases from childhood through middle age. But what happens to blood pressure in the final years of life has been a bit of a mystery—until now.
Researchers from the University of Exeter have found something very interesting. They discovered that in older adults, blood pressure starts to slowly go down about 14 years before death. This pattern was seen in many people, not just those with health problems. The study helps us understand more about aging and how our bodies change in later life.
In the past, doctors noticed that some older adults had lower blood pressure. Many thought this was because of medications or treatments for high blood pressure. But this new study looked deeper.
The research team examined the medical records of 46,634 people in the UK who had died at age 60 or older. These people included both healthy individuals and others who had conditions like heart disease or dementia.
The results showed that people with illnesses such as dementia, heart failure, or major weight loss often had the biggest drops in blood pressure. Even those who had high blood pressure earlier in life saw their numbers fall.
But what really surprised the scientists was this: people who were healthy, with no serious illnesses, also had a slow and steady drop in blood pressure in the years before they passed away.
This tells us that falling blood pressure isn’t just caused by sickness or aging in people with health problems. It seems to be something that happens naturally in many people as they near the end of life, no matter how healthy they were before.
This discovery is important for doctors and caregivers. It can help them better understand what’s normal in older adults and how to treat people in their final years. If a senior’s blood pressure starts to drop, it may not always be a sign of danger. But it should still be carefully watched and understood in the context of their overall health.
That doesn’t mean people should stop taking their blood pressure medicine. High blood pressure still needs to be treated to avoid strokes, heart attacks, and other serious problems. The researchers say we need more studies to understand why this drop happens and what it really means for each person.
In the meantime, it’s important to check blood pressure regularly, especially in older adults. Every person is different, so doctors need to look at the full picture—not just the numbers.
There’s more and more research being done on blood pressure. For example, some scientists are exploring whether black tea helps lower blood pressure. Others are warning that some blood pressure drugs might increase the risk of heart failure. These examples show just how complex managing blood pressure can be.
The study, led by Professor George Kuchel, was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine. It’s a big step toward understanding how our bodies change as we age and how we can care for ourselves and our loved ones as we grow older.
If you care about blood pressure, please read studies about blood pressure drug that may increase risk of sudden cardiac arrest, and these teas could help reduce high blood pressure.
For more health information, please see recent studies about nutrient that could strongly lower high blood pressure, and results showing this novel antioxidant may help reverse blood vessels aging by 20 years.
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