BLOOD-PRESSURE IN RELATION TO MEDICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL VARIABLES IN A POPULATION OF 80-YEAR-OLDS - SURVIVAL DURING 6 YEARS

Objectives. To relate elevated blood pressure in 80-year-olds to sympt oms, life satisfaction and survival. Design. Examinations of medical, psychological and social factors every year between 80 and 86 years of age. Setting. Primary health care in the city of Lund in southern Swe den. Subjects. Three-hundred and thirty-three persons living in the ci ty of Lund and born in 1908. Participation rate was 67%. Intervention. Abnormal findings were further examined and treated. Main outcome mea sures. Symptoms, blood pressure, laboratory values, psychological fact ors, cognition, living conditions, and survival. Results. Hypertension according to the definition used was found in 70%. Women were overrep resented (P < 0.05). Amongst persons with alleged hypertension, diuret ics (P < 0.001) and other cardiovascular drugs' (P < 0.001) were more often used. Analgesics were more often used amongst assessed hypertens ives (P < 0.05). Those with assessed hypertension scored better in tes ting of cognition compared to nonhypertensives (P < 0.05), and less of ten lived in institutions (P < 0.001). Assessed hypertensives had a be tter survival than alleged hypertensives during the following 7 years (P < 0.01). Conclusions. Eighty-year-olds with assessed hypertension i n the consulting room showed fewer symptoms and had a better cognition and survival than alleged hypertensives (those with a history of hype rtension).