Association of long-term blood pressure with frailty progression in older adults: a prospective cohort study.

Abstract

Introduction: Hypertension is associated with an increased risk of frailty; however, the role of cumulative blood pressure (CBP) and blood pressure variability (BPV) in frailty remains underexplored. This study aims to investigate the association between long-term blood pressure and the progression of frailty in older adults.

Methods: This study analyzed data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. Cox regression and linear mixed-effects model were used to assess the association between long-term blood pressure and frailty.

Results: The longitudinal study included 3,758 participants. The highest quartiles of cumulative systolic blood pressure (CSBP), cumulative diastolic blood pressure (CDBP), systolic blood pressure variability (SBPV), diastolic blood pressure variability (DBPV), and pulse pressure variability (PPV) were associated with an increased risk of frailty. Specifically, the HR (95% CI) for the highest quartiles compared to the lowest were 1.228 (1.067-1.413) for CSBP, 1.201 (1.044-1.382) for CDBP, 1.220 (1.066-1.396) for SBPV, 1.224 (1.099-1.440) for DBPV, and 1.250 (1.090-1.432) for PPV. CBP and BPV exhibited significant interactions with time in frailty index (FI) progression. The highest quartile of CSBP showed an annual FI increase of 0.018 compared to the lowest quartile, while CDBP (β: 0.012), SBPV (β: 0.012), and PPV (β: 0.014) were also associated with the FI progression.

Conclusions: Higher CBP and BPV are associated with an increased FI over time. In adults aged ≥65 years, CBP and BPV may serve as early indicators of frailty. These findings highlight the need for a stratified approach to frailty management that considers long-term blood pressure patterns in older adults.