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Updated: May 11, 2026

Assessment of Vascular Function in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease
Published on: June 16, 2014
Blood pressure components and decline in kidney function in community-living older adults: the Cardiovascular Health
Dena E Rifkin1, Ronit Katz, Michel Chonchol
1Divisions of Nephrology and of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, and Veterans' Affairs Medical Center, San Diego, CA, USA. drifkin@ucsd.edu
Insights
Elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) and pulse pressure (PP) significantly accelerate kidney function decline in older adults. Diastolic blood pressure (DBP) showed no significant association with kidney function loss.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Geriatrics
- Cardiovascular Medicine
Background:
- Hypertension is a known contributor to kidney dysfunction.
- The specific impact of systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and pulse pressure (PP) on kidney function decline in community-dwelling older adults remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the independent and combined associations of SBP, DBP, and PP with kidney function decline in older adults.
- To determine which blood pressure components are most detrimental to kidney health in this population.
Main Methods:
- Utilized linear and logistic regression analyses on data from 4,365 older adults in the Cardiovascular Health Study.
- Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) using cystatin C over a 7-year follow-up period.
- Defined rapid kidney function decline as ≥ 3 ml/min/year.
Main Results:
- Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and pulse pressure (PP), not DBP, were significantly associated with kidney function decline.
- Each 10-mm Hg increase in SBP and PP correlated with a faster decline of 0.13 and 0.15 ml/min/year, respectively.
- SBP demonstrated the strongest independent association with rapid kidney function decline, increasing hazard by 14% per 10-mm Hg increment.
Conclusions:
- Elevated blood pressure, particularly SBP, is a significant factor in the decline of kidney function among older adults.
- Findings highlight SBP as a critical target for interventions aimed at preserving kidney health in the aging population.
Background:
Although hypertension contributes to kidney dysfunction in the general population, the contributions of elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and pulse pressure (PP) to kidney function decline in community-dwelling older adults are unknown.
Methods:
We used linear and logistic regression to examine the separate and combined associations of SBP, DBP, and PP at baseline with kidney function decline among 4,365 older adults in the Cardiovascular Health Study. We used cystatin C to estimate glomerular filtration rate on 3 occasions over 7 years of follow-up. We defined rapid decline ≥ 3ml/min/year.
Results:
Average age was 72.2 and mean (standard deviation) SBP, DBP, and PP were 135 (21), 71 (11), and 65 (18) mm Hg, respectively. SBP and PP, rather than DBP, were most significantly associated with kidney function decline. In adjusted linear models, each 10-mm Hg increment in SBP and PP was associated with 0.13ml/min/year (-0.19, -0.08, P < 0.001) and 0.15-ml/min/year faster decline (-0.21, -0.09, P < 0.001), respectively. Each 10-mm Hg increment in DBP was associated with a nonsignificant 0.10-ml/min/year faster decline (95% confidence interval, -0.20, 0.01). In adjusted logistic models, SBP had the strongest associations with rapid decline, with 14% increased hazard of rapid decline (95% confidence interval, 10% to 17%, P < 0.01) per 10mm Hg. In models combining BP components, only SBP consistently had independent associations with rapid decline.
Conclusions:
Our findings suggest that elevated BP, particularly SBP, contributes to declining kidney function in older adults.
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