Impact of frailty and daily living functioning on home blood pressure measurement status

Home blood pressure (BP) measurement is important for adequate BP control in patients with hypertension. BP targets for frail older adults need to be determined on an individual basis. This study aimed to examine the effect of frailty on home BP measurement status.

This study enrolled 682 older participants from a community cohort study conducted in Tarumizu City in 2019. We explained that home BP monitors could be lent free of charge to participants who wished to measure their BP at home. We evaluated frailty and daily living functions, such as technology usage, information practice, life management, and social engagement. We investigated how these indicators were associated with the desire to borrow home BP monitors and adherence to home BP measurements.

A total of 304 participants agreed to borrow the home BP monitors. Multivariable logistic analysis revealed that the presence of frailty, low technology usage, and information practice were negatively associated with borrowing a home BP monitor, independent of age, sex, BMI, smoking history, and the presence of hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidaemia. In contrast, the presence of prefrailty and frailty was positively associated with daily home BP measurements, independent of age, sex, BMI, smoking history, presence of hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidaemia.

Frailty is associated with a lower desire to monitor home BP, but is associated with higher adherence to home BP monitoring once it is initiated.