Christoph Herrmann-Lingen1, Thomas Meyer, Alexandra Bosbach, Mira-Lynn Chavanon, Lina Hassoun, Frank Edelmann, Rolf Wachter. 1. From the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy (Herrmann-Lingen, Meyer, Bosbach, Hassoun), University of Göttingen Medical Centre; German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK) (Herrmann-Lingen, Meyer, Bosbach, Edelmann, Wachter), Partner Site Göttingen; Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (Chavanon), Faculty of Psychology, University of Marburg; Department of Internal Medicine and Cardiology (Edelmann), University Medicine, Campus Virchow Klinikum, Berlin; German Centre for Cardiovascular Research, Partner Site Berlin (Edelmann); Clinic and Policlinic for Cardiology, University Hospital Leipzig, Germany (Wachter); and Department of Cardiology and Pneumology (Edelmann, Wachter), University of Göttingen Medical Centre, Germany.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Although diagnosed arterial hypertension and antihypertensive medication usually have an adverse impact on quality of life, recent studies suggest that actual blood pressure may be positively related to better well-being. However, data in older patients with cardiovascular risk factors are lacking, for whom such an association may be of particular relevance. METHODS: In 1300 adults aged 50 to 85 years with cardiovascular risk factors (51.5% men, mean age = 65.7 ± 8.2 years) participating in an observational study, we performed standardized measurements of blood pressure and assessed quality of life and depressive symptoms at baseline and 1-year follow-up using the Short Form-36 (SF-36) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). RESULTS: Bivariate analysis demonstrated that systolic blood pressure was associated with higher SF-36 mental component summary scores (r = 0.100, p < .001) and reduced HADS depression (r = -0.082, p = .003). Multivariate regression models adjusting for age, sex, and disease severity confirmed that higher systolic blood pressure significantly predicted both better mental quality of life (β = 0.070, p = .012) and less depressive mood (β = -0.083, p = .003) at baseline, independently of antihypertensive medication and diagnosed hypertension. Moreover, the beneficial effects of baseline systolic blood pressure remained stable for both summary components of the SF-36 as well as HADS depression at 1-year follow-up. All results remained unchanged, when limiting the analyses to the 1072 patients with diagnosed hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: In older adults with cardiovascular risk factors, higher systolic blood pressure readings are independently related to better quality of life and fewer depressive symptoms in both cross-sectional and longitudinal settings, although the magnitude of the effect sizes is typically small.
OBJECTIVE: Although diagnosed arterial hypertension and antihypertensive medication usually have an adverse impact on quality of life, recent studies suggest that actual blood pressure may be positively related to better well-being. However, data in older patients with cardiovascular risk factors are lacking, for whom such an association may be of particular relevance. METHODS: In 1300 adults aged 50 to 85 years with cardiovascular risk factors (51.5% men, mean age = 65.7 ± 8.2 years) participating in an observational study, we performed standardized measurements of blood pressure and assessed quality of life and depressive symptoms at baseline and 1-year follow-up using the Short Form-36 (SF-36) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). RESULTS: Bivariate analysis demonstrated that systolic blood pressure was associated with higher SF-36 mental component summary scores (r = 0.100, p < .001) and reduced HADS depression (r = -0.082, p = .003). Multivariate regression models adjusting for age, sex, and disease severity confirmed that higher systolic blood pressure significantly predicted both better mental quality of life (β = 0.070, p = .012) and less depressive mood (β = -0.083, p = .003) at baseline, independently of antihypertensive medication and diagnosed hypertension. Moreover, the beneficial effects of baseline systolic blood pressure remained stable for both summary components of the SF-36 as well as HADS depression at 1-year follow-up. All results remained unchanged, when limiting the analyses to the 1072 patients with diagnosed hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: In older adults with cardiovascular risk factors, higher systolic blood pressure readings are independently related to better quality of life and fewer depressive symptoms in both cross-sectional and longitudinal settings, although the magnitude of the effect sizes is typically small.
Authors: Ericka L Richards; Kathy D Wright; Ingrid K Richards Adams; Maryanna D Klatt; Todd B Monroe; Christopher M Nguyen; Karen M Rose Journal: Geriatrics (Basel) Date: 2022-04-29
Authors: Bert N Uchino; Wendy Birmingham; Joshua Landvatter; Sierra Cronan; Emily Scott; Timothy W Smith Journal: Psychosom Med Date: 2020-05 Impact factor: 3.864