Aim: We aimed to examine the relationship between changes in clinic blood pressure (BP) and frailty and sarcopenia in elderly outpatients with cardiometabolic disease.
Methods: In 691 elderly outpatients with cardiometabolic diseases, the associations of frailty according to the modified Japanese Cardiovascular Health Study score (J-CHS) and Kihon Checklist (KCL) criteria with clinic BP were evaluated at baseline and followed up for 3 years.
Results: Among the patients (79.2 ± 6.3 years, male 35.6%), 30.4% had frailty by the J-CHS criteria and 38.0% by the KCL criteria. A J-curve relationship was observed between BP and frailty; the prevalence of frailty was the lowest in patients with systolic BP (SBP) 119.5-130.5 mmHg and in those with diastolic BP (DBP) 72.0-80.5 mmHg. Frailty by the J-CHS criteria correlated with lower DBP (OR = 0.892 per 5 mmHg increase, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.819-0.972, P = 0.009), whereas that by the KCL criteria correlated with lower SBP (OR = 0.872 per 10 mmHg increase, 95% CI 0.785-0.969, P = 0.011) in multivariate-adjusted models. In patients with frailty by the J-CHS criteria at baseline, changes in DBP (OR = 0.921 per 1 mmHg change, 95% CI 0.851-0.996, P = 0.038) were associated with sustained frailty 1 year later. Changes in DBP were associated with progression to a slow walking speed 1 year later (OR = 0.939, 95% CI 0.883-0.999, P = 0.047). Changes in SBP (OR = 0.928, 95% CI 0.878-0.981, P = 0.008) and DBP (OR = 0.926, 95% CI 0.859-0.997, P = 0.042) were associated with progression to a weak hand grip strength 3 years later.
Conclusion: A J-curve relationship was observed between frailty and BP, and a decline in BP was associated with progression to a slow walking speed and weak hand grip strength in elderly outpatients with cardiometabolic diseases. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2023; 23: 506-516.
Keywords: diastolic blood pressure; frailty; longitudinal observational study; sarcopenia; systolic blood pressure.
© 2023 Japan Geriatrics Society.