Age‐Related Trends in Home Blood Pressure, Home Pulse Rate, and Day‐to‐Day Blood Pressure and Pulse Rate Variability Based on Longitudinal Cohort Data: The Ohasama Study

Abstract

Background Home blood pressure is a more accurate prognosticator than office blood pressure and allows the observation of day‐to‐day blood pressure variability. Information on blood pressure change during the life course links the prediction of blood pressure elevation with age. We prospectively assessed age‐related trends in home blood pressure, home pulse rate, and their day‐to‐day variability evaluated as a coefficient of variation. Methods and Results We examined 1665 participants (men, 36.0%; mean age, 56.2 years) from the general population of Ohasama, Japan. A repeated‐measures mixed linear model was used to estimate the age‐related trends. In a mean of 15.9 years, we observed 5438 points of measurements including those at baseline. The home systolic blood pressure linearly increased with age and was higher in men than in women aged <70 years. There was an inverse‐U‐shaped age‐related trend in home diastolic blood pressure. The day‐to‐day home systolic blood pressure linearly increased with age in individuals aged >40 years. However, an U‐shaped age‐related trend in day‐to‐day diastolic blood pressure variability with the nadir point at 65 to 69 years of age was observed. No significant sex differences in the day‐to‐day blood pressure variability were observed ( P ≥0.22). The average and day‐to‐day variability of home pulse rate decreased with age but were lower and higher, respectively, in men than in women. Conclusions The current descriptive data are needed to predict future home blood pressure and pulse rate. The data also provide information on the mechanism of day‐to‐day blood pressure and pulse rate variability.