News - Hypertension Week of July 6, 2003/ Vol. 2 No. 27

Study: Blood Pressure of Seniors Drops in the Hour After a Meal

The blood pressure of older adults drops significantly in the hour after a meal, making the amount of time since last eating an important consideration in attempting to monitor hypertension, according to University of Washington researchers.

In a study that looked at blood pressure measurements of almost 6,000 men and women age 65 and older, blood pressure measured one hour after a meal was on average 2.3 points lower for diastolic pressure and 3.8 points lower for systolic pressure than readings taken at the start of the meal.

The drop in the systolic pressure reading was even more pronounced for women, the researchers reported in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

"Time since last meal may be an important factor to consider when measuring blood pressure in older adults," the researchers concluded.
"Artificially low blood pressure measurements may lead to the underdiagnosis of hypertension or undertreatment of those with hypertension, which is already a problem in blood pressure management."

Other sources: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society