Post-traumatic stress in older, community-dwelling adults with hypertension during the COVID-19 pandemic: An investigation of pre-pandemic sociodemographic, health, and vascular and inflammatory biomarker predictors

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic-related traumatic stress (PRTS) symptoms are reported in various populations, but risk factors in older adults with chronic medical conditions, remain understudied. We therefore examined correlates and pre-pandemic predictors of PRTS in older adults with hypertension during COVID-19. Participants in California, aged 61–92 years ( n = 95), participated in a pre-pandemic healthy aging trial and later completed a COVID-19 assessment (May to September 2020). Those experiencing ⩾1 PRTS symptom ( n = 40), and those without PRTS symptoms ( n = 55), were compared. The PRTS+ group had poorer mental and general health and greater impairment in instrumental activities of daily living. Pre-pandemic biomarkers of vascular inflammation did not predict increased odds of PRTS; however, greater pre-pandemic anxiety and female gender did predict PRTS during COVID-19. Our findings highlight PRTS as a threat to healthy aging in older adults with hypertension; targeted approaches are needed to mitigate this burden, particularly for females and those with pre-existing anxiety.