50% of senior citizens in RP have hypertension
Hypertension is commonly known as high blood pressure.
Blood pressure is the force generated as the heart pumps blood in the blood vessels.
The two values measured by the sphygmomanometer or blood pressure apparatus are the systolic and diastolic blood pressures which represent heart’s contraction and relaxation, respectively.
Hypertension is defined as a condition where sustained systolic blood pressure is greater than or equal to 140 millimeter mercury (mmHg) and/or the diastolic blood pressure is greater than or equal to 90 millimeter mercury (mmHg) by the Joint National Committee on Detection and Treatment of High Blood Pressure.
Based on the results of the 7th National Nutrition Survey conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology in 2008, hypertension was found to be common among the elderly, affecting about 5 in every 10.
Most elderly with elevated high blood pressure have the so called “isolated” hypertension, a common form of hypertension among elderly.
Isolated hypertension is defined as systolic BP above 140 mmHg and diastolic BP below 90 mmHg, where there is a significant increase of collagen deposition and cross-linking, degeneration of elastin fibers, atherosclerotic changes, and age-related endothelial dysfunction, according to the Merck Manual of Geriatrics in 2005.
Isolated hypertension was evident among those 60 years and older in the recent FNRI-DOST survey, wherein the systolic BP increased rapidly while there was a declined in the diastolic BP towards that age group.
The FNRI-DOST survey further revealed that elderly people were 12 times more at-risk of developing hypertension compared to younger individuals based on the study led by Duante in 2001.
Comparing the prevalence of hypertension from 2003 to 2008, there was an increase in the proportion of elderly 60- 69 years identified with hypertension from 45.8 percent in 2003 to 48.9 percent in 2008. The prevalence of hypertension among the 70 years and over elderly adults decreased from 56.0 percent in 2003 to 53.5 percent in 2008.
Meanwhile, the 2003 NNS considered previous medical diagnosis of hypertension by a doctor or a nurse or whether the subjects were taking anti-hypertensive medications or not during the time of survey. This is because subjects may have normal BP measurements when they are taking anti-hypertensive drugs.
The results showed that hypertension was prevalent among elderly women 60 years and older than elderly male counterparts, affecting about 57 percent and 50 percent respectively.
The report implies that elderly people need proper care and attention in as much as prevention is important to curtail the development of chronic degenerative diseases later in life.*
