Prevalence of non-communicable chronic diseases: arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and associated risk factors in long-lived elderly people.
Andreia Matos da Silva, Ariane Silva do Carmo, Vicente Paulo Alves and 1 others
PMID 37820146WHAT IT FOUND
Among 700 adults aged 80 or older, 68.2% had hypertension and 25.9% had diabetes.
Using 5 or more medications and overweight were associated with hypertension; using 5 or more medications was associated with diabetes, while diabetes was lower in women and older age groups.
Key findings
01Among 700 adults aged 80 or older, hypertension was reported in 68.2% and diabetes in 25.9%.
02In multivariate models, using 5 or more medications was associated with 38% higher prevalence of hypertension and 2.15 times higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes.
03In multivariate models, overweight was associated with 17% higher hypertension prevalence, and diabetes was 24% lower in women and 44% and 57% lower in the oldest age groups.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show that polypharmacy, overweight, or waist risk caused hypertension or diabetes. Disease status was self-reported by the elderly person or caregiver, not confirmed by medical records. Participants had to be able to hear, see, answer questions, stand, and walk independently, so the results do not describe frailer or more cognitively impaired long-lived elderly people. The sample mixed people from family households, long-term care institutions, and geriatric clinics, and the authors say these groups may have different life and health profiles. People with incomplete records for the variables needed were excluded, and the paper does not give the final number excluded at this step. Heart disease and stroke were not modelled because no bivariate variable met the entry rule, so the paper does not provide adjusted associations for those conditions. The authors note that region, race, education, smoking, and physical inactivity were not included in the main analyses.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the 38% higher hypertension prevalence among people using 5 or more medications as proof that the medications caused hypertension. The study was cross-sectional and used self-reported diagnoses, so it can show association but not cause.