Blood Pressure and Mortality in the Very Old

Whether blood pressure (BP) is associated with all-cause mortality in very old people is unclear. In this study, researchers recorded the BPs of nearly all very old residents (age, ≥85) of a Finnish city and followed them for as long as 9 years. At baseline, mean BP was 149/82 mm Hg; systolic BP was ≥160 mm Hg in 35% of participants.

Of the 521 participants, 87% died during follow-up. In a multivariate analysis adjusted for numerous clinical characteristics (including cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, previously diagnosed hypertension, and use of antihypertensive drugs), patients with systolic BP <140 mm Hg had significantly increased risk for death (hazard ratio, 1.35), compared with patients whose systolic BP was 140 to159 mm Hg (t…