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. 2022 Apr 2;35(4):319-327.
doi: 10.1093/ajh/hpab154.

Age-Specific Prevalence and Factors Associated With Normal Blood Pressure Among US Adults

Paul Muntner  1 , Byron C Jaeger  2 , Shakia T Hardy  1 , Kathryn Foti  3 , Kristi Reynolds  4 , Paul K Whelton  5 , C Barrett Bowling  6   7
Affiliations

Age-Specific Prevalence and Factors Associated With Normal Blood Pressure Among US Adults

Paul Muntner et al. Am J Hypertens. .

Abstract

Background: The mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) for US adults increases with age. Determining characteristics of US adults ≥65 years with normal blood pressure (BP) may inform approaches to prevent this increase.

Methods: We analyzed US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2018 data (n = 21,581). BP was measured up to 3 times and averaged. Normal BP was defined as SBP <120 mm Hg and diastolic BP (DBP) <80 mm Hg among participants not taking antihypertensive medication. Those with SBP ≥120 mm Hg, DBP ≥80 mm Hg, self-reporting having hypertension or taking antihypertensive medication were categorized as having elevated BP or hypertension.

Results: The prevalence of normal BP was 57.8%, 25.3%, 11.2%, and 5.0% among US adults who were 18-44, 45-64, 65-74, and ≥75 years, respectively. After multivariable adjustment, in US adults ≥65 years of age, normal BP vs. elevated BP/hypertension was more common among those with moderate and no vs. heavy alcohol consumption (prevalence ratio [PR] 3.03; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.25-7.36 and 2.53; 95% CI 0.96-6.65, respectively), ≥150 vs. <150 minutes of physical activity per week (PR = 1.44; 95% CI 1.01-2.05), overweight and normal weight vs. obesity (PR = 1.88; 95% CI 1.22-2.90 and 2.94; 95% CI 1.89-4.59, respectively), and a high Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension score (PR = 1.43; 95% CI 1.00-2.05). US adults ≥65 years with normal BP vs. elevated BP/hypertension were less likely to have good or fair/poor vs. excellent/very good self-rated health, diabetes, albuminuria, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, and heart failure.

Conclusions: Among US adults ≥65 years, normal BP was associated with healthy lifestyle factors and a lower prevalence of adverse health conditions.

Keywords: aging; blood pressure; cardiovascular risk; hypertension; lifestyle factors.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure from 18 to 80 years of age among US adults. The mean blood pressure for US adults 18–44, 45–64, 65–74, and ≥75 years of age is provided in the figure with 95% confidence intervals in parentheses. The left panel provides results from a model of the measured systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The right panel provides results from a model of systolic and diastolic blood pressure adjusted for antihypertensive medication use as described in the methods section.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Prevalence of normal blood pressure, elevated blood pressure, and hypertension from 18 to 80 years of age among US adults. US adults >80 years of age are grouped as being 80 years old. Text in the figure indicates the percentage of US adults with each blood pressure level in the corresponding age group (e.g., 18–44 years), while shaded regions indicate the percentage of US adults with normal blood pressure at all values of age from 18 to 80 years.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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