Blood pressure trend and cardiovascular events in nuns in a secluded order: a 30-year follow-up study

Abstract

30-year data are presented on blood pressure and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality for 144 nuns living in a secluded order in six nunnerlie in Umbria, central Italy and 138 lay women from the same region. There were no significant differences at baseline regarding age, blood pressure, body mass index, race, ethnic background, menarche, family history of hypertension or 24-hour urinary sodium excretion. None of the women were smokers and none took birth control pills nor did they use estrogen replacement therapy. During the observation period blood pressure remained remarkably stable among the nuns. None showed a rise in diastolic blood pressure to above 90 mm Hg. On the contrary the lay women showed the expected rise in blood pressure with age. This resulted in a gradually greater difference (delta > 30/15 mm Hg) in blood pressure between the two groups, which was statistically significant. There were 31 fatal and 69 non-fatal cardiovascular events during the 30 years of follow-up. These were significantly more common in the lay women, 10 vs. 21 fatal and 21 vs. 48 non-fatal in the nuns and lay women respectively. It appears reasonable to assume that the difference in psychosocial stress is the main underlying factor for the observed findings.