Nutrition and blood pressure among elderly men and women (Dutch Nutrition Surveillance System)

Associations between blood pressure and nutrition-related variables (body mass index, dietary intake, and 24-hr excretion of sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium in the urine) were investigated in men (n = 138) and women (n = 117) 65-79 years old not using drugs known to affect blood pressure and not on a diet. Among men, body mass index was positively and creatinine clearance was inversely associated with systolic blood pressure, whereas body mass index and urinary sodium:potassium ratio were positively associated with diastolic blood pressure. Among women, both age and urinary calcium:creatinine ratio were positively associated with systolic as well as diastolic blood pressure. Coffee consumption was positively correlated with blood pressure and urinary calcium:creatinine ratio among the women. From the results it appears that, besides "normal" weight, increased potassium intake and urinary excretion may exert a protective effect among elderly men against hypertension when sodium exposure is relatively high. The positive association between urinary calcium:creatinine ratio and blood pressure among the women may be partly due to coffee consumption.