Association of frailty syndrome in elderly with high blood pressure and other potential cardiovascular risk factors

  AIM  To assess the cardiovascular risk factors in patients with frailty syndrome with emphasis on blood pressure (BP), as compared with those in individuals without frailty or with prefrailty.

  METHODS  A total of 67 elderly patients hospitalized in General Hospital of Northern Theater Command from November 2018 to September 2021 were included and divided into three groups: non-frailty group (n=23), pre-frailty group (n=31) and frailty group (n=13). The 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) data, abdominal circumference, fasting blood glucose, blood lipid, low density lipoprotein (LDL), high density lipoprotein (HDL) and other biochemical indexes were collected and analyzed. Anthropometric and BP measurements were obtained in the office. Fasting glucose and plasma lipids were collected. Data were analyzed by linear fixed effects model and ANOVA.

  RESULTS  Compared with the non debilitating group, the debilitating group had larger abdominal circumference and lower HDL (all P<0.05). Comparison of blood pressure levels in each group compared with the non debilitating group, SBP (24 h) increased (P<0.05), DBP (24 h) increased (P<0.05), SBP (awake) increased (P<0.05), DBP (awake) increased (P<0.05), SBP (sleep) increased (P<0.05) and DBP (sleep) increased (P<0.05) in the pre debilitating group. Compared with the non debilitating group, the values of SBP (24 h), DBP (24 h), SBP (awake) (P<0.01), DBP (awake) (P<0.01), SBP (sleep) (P<0.01) and DBP (sleep) (P<0.01) in the debilitating group increased. Compared with the pre debilitating group, the value of SBP (24 h) increased (P<0.05), DBP (24 h) increased (P<0.05), SBP (awake) increased (P<0.05), DBP (awake) did not change significantly, SBP (sleep) increased (P<0.05), DBP (sleep) did not change significantly.

  CONCLUSION  Frailty syndrome is associated with higher blood pressure, larger abdominal circumference and lower HDL, and may have obesity and sarcopenia. The evaluation of asthenia is of great significance for the comprehensive evaluation of the condition and the choice of treatment strategies of hospitalized elderly patients.