Fh. Lu et al., Hypertension in elderly persons: Its prevalence and associated cardiovascular risk factors in Tainan City, southern Taiwan, J GERONT A, 55(8), 2000, pp. M463-M468
Citations number
57
Categorie Soggetti
Public Health & Health Care Science","Medical Research General Topics
Journal title
JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY SERIES A-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND MEDICAL SCIENCES
Background Hypertension was the eighth leading cause of death in Taiwan in
1996, and the prevalence of hypertension has increased recently. The purpos
e of the study was to assess the prevalence of hypertension and its associa
ted cardiovascular risk factors in elderly persons in Tainan City, southern
Taiwan.
Methods. The study was a cross-sectional, population-based study. We used t
he stratified cluster sampling method to enroll subjects aged 65 years and
above, 1435 persons in total, into our study. Questionnaire interview, body
weight, body height, and blood pressure measurement were completed for 876
participants (response rate of 70.2%) at each subject's home by home visit
.
Results. Hypertension was defined according to the criteria of the Fifth Re
port of the Joint National Committee on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatmen
t of High Blood pressure. The crude prevalence of hypertension was 60.4% (m
en 59.1!, women 61.9%); previously diagnosed hypertension was 31.1% (men 29
.4%; women 33.1%): and newly diagnosed hypertension was 29.3% (men 29.7%, w
omen 28.8%). The hypertensive soup had a higher body mass index (BMI) than
the normotensive group. There were no lifestyle differences such as smoking
, drinking, eating a vegetarian diet, reading health information, and under
going a health examination in the past year between the hypertensive and no
rmotensive groups. However, the hypertensive group had a higher prevalence
of regular exercise than did the normal blood pressure group on univariate
analysis. Only BMI and family history of hypertension had a significantly p
ositive association with hypertension on multiple logistic regression analy
sis.
Conclusions. The crude prevalence of hypertension was 60.4% in elderly pers
ons in Tainan City. subjects who had family history of hypertension and hig
her BMI had a higher risk of hypertension, so they should be screened for h
igh blood pressure regularly.