More About Blood Pressure in the Very Old

According to some observational studies, low blood pressure (BP) independently predicts mortality in very old people (JW Jun 27 2006). In this population-based cohort study from a Swedish county, researchers collected detailed information on 348 very old people (age, ≥85) and followed them for 4 years; 57% died during that period.

Mean baseline BP was 148/76 mm Hg. In a multivariate analysis that was adjusted for numerous clinical, psychosocial, and medication-use variables, systolic BP ≤120 mm Hg was associated with significantly greater mortality than was systolic BP between 120 mm Hg and 160 mm Hg. Exclusion of deaths during the first year of follow-up (to eliminate cases in which low BP was a pre-terminal development) did not change thes…