Sociodemographic Correlates of Four Indices of Blood Pressure and Hypertension among Older Persons in Japan

Abstract

Background: High blood pressure is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality. Japan has traditionally had higher levels of measured blood pressure than many Western countries, and reducing levels of hypertension has been a major focus of Japanese health policy over recent decades. In the West, hypertension is strongly associated with sociodemographic and behavioral (smoking and body mass index, BMI) factors; studies of the association between sociodemographic factors and biological indicators have not been fully explored in the elderly population of Japan using nationally representative survey data. Objective: To describe hypertension prevalence rates with increasing age and to examine the link between sociodemographic and behavioral factors (including age, gender, education, residence, smoking, and BMI) and measures of blood pressure and overall hypertension in the Japanese population aged ≥68 years. Methods: Data were collected in 2006 during the fourth wave of the Nihon University Japanese Longitudinal Study of Aging, a nationally representative sample of those ≥68. The analytic sample includes 2,634 participants. Pulse pressure, systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressure, as well as hypertension, were regressed on sociodemographic and behavioral factors. Results: There is no significant difference in the prevalence of overall hypertension by age for men and women from ages 68-69 to 90+. Higher BMI and older age were linked to higher blood pressure and higher chance of having hypertension. More years of education and being female were associated with a lower likelihood of measured hypertension. Smoking, rural residence, and living alone were not significantly associated with the outcome measures. Conclusion: The increase in hypertension with higher BMI raises concerns about future health in Japan as BMI increases. The lack of a relationship between smoking and any measure of blood pressure or hypertension is an indicator that smoking may have different effects in Japan than in other countries. Because there is no effect of living alone on blood pressure, compliance with drug regimes may not be enhanced by living with others in Japan.

Active Social Participation and Mortality Risk Among Older People in Japan

“…Researchers have long been interested in Japanese longevity, but the mechanisms of the phenomenal health of the Japanese people remain to be firmly established. While past research has tended to focus on biological and functional factors, such as biomarkers (Crimmins, Vasunilashorn, Kim, Hagedorn, & Saito, 2008), blood pressure (Davarian, Crimmins, Takahashi, & Saito, 2013), and obesity (Reynolds et al, 2008), this study brings new evidence to bear on this topic: Social factors might be just as important as individual characteristics in the production and distribution of health. Overall, in the face of the rapidly aging population, more research and policy attention should be directed toward the social and cultural circumstances in which older individuals are embedded.…”

Diagnosis and control of hypertension in the elderly populations of Japan and the United States

“…In addition we do not consider all the determinants of hypertensive state in this analysis. For instance, there are life style factors that may be related to hypertension such as obesity and smoking [28] . Further investigation of these in comparative analyses may provide greater insights into the root of these differences.…”

Relationship Between Depression and Blood Pressure in Community‐Dwelling Oldest‐Old Adults in Japan

“…Several reports have stated that the prevalence of hypertension in community-dwelling elderly people in Japan is greater than 70%. 6,7 At the same time, the prevalence of depression in elderly people in three Asian communities was reported to range from 17.2% to 33.8%. 8 In conclusion, we should focus on accumulating and comparing results from samples drawn from different cultures and living environments to obtain new perspectives and insights in ethnogerontology.…”

“…5 Hong Kong has a largely government-based subsidized healthcare system, with more than 90% of secondary and tertiary care provided in physician consultations in the public sector; a general outpatient clinic visit lasts an average of 3 to 5 minutes. 6 It is difficult to provide adequate counseling and medication review during such a short visit, so the current study aimed to investigate the effect of a pharmacy outreach service (POS) in Hong Kong on hypertension and diabetic control in community-dwelling elderly adults and the sustainability of such a service.…”