Sedentary lifestyle and mortality in hypertensive patients: Role of sarcopenia criteria

Abstract

Objectives: Considering that sedentary has become a lifestyle that arises in older adults, controversially due to the negative consequences implied for health, the present study aims to determine the association between sedentary lifestyle and mortality in hypertensive older adults by using the evaluation scale "Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly", considering the role of criteria for sarcopenia. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective and observational cohort study. We analyzed a database of a study entitled "Prevalence and factors associated with frailty among Peruvian older adults". Subsequently, the follow-up was carried out from 2010 to 2015 on elderly patients who were treated at the geriatric service of the Naval Medical Center of Peru. In this analysis, the data of patients with a history of high blood pressure are included. Results: A total of 987 data of adults older than 60 years with the diagnosis of hypertension were included. From them, 59.27% were males, and 46.2% had a sedentary lifestyle. This lifestyle and having two or more comorbidities were significantly associated with a high incidence of mortality at the end of follow-up. Finally, the risk of dying was 8.4 times higher in patients with a sedentary lifestyle. Conclusions: A sedentary lifestyle and the alteration of some sarcopenia criteria such as grip strength and physical performance are strongly associated with mortality in hypertensive older adults.