Effect of Physical Activity Intervention on Blood Pressure in Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Older Adults: A Cluster...

The effects of physical activity (PA) interventions on blood pressure observed in current randomized controlled trials are mainly derived from older adults with high socioeconomic status (SES). Reliable evidence from low SES populations is scarce. This study aimed to examine the effects of PA intervention on blood pressure in low SES older adults.

Eight villages from Sichuan, China were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to the intervention or control group. The intervention group received PA intervention, while the control did not. The main outcomes of this secondary analysis were changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) at 24-month follow-up from baseline. In addition, there was a change in mean arterial pressure (MAP) at 24-month follow-up from baseline.

Among the 506 older adults, the mean age was 70.89 (SD, 5.67) years, and 281 were women. The mean baseline systolic blood pressure, DBP, and MAP in the intervention group were 134.26 mm Hg, 78.30 mm Hg, and 96.93 mm Hg, respectively. At 24 months, these were 136.44 mm Hg, 78.98 mm Hg, and 97.19 mm Hg respectively. The mean baseline systolic blood pressure, DBP, and MAP in the control group were 133.42 mm Hg, 79.06 mm Hg, and 97.16 mmHg, respectively. At 24 months, these were 133.83 mm Hg, 79.24 mm Hg, and 98.34 mmHg, respectively. No significant between-group differences were found in systolic blood pressure (1.77 mm Hg; P = .37), DBP (0.50 mm Hg; P = .66), and MAP (-0.93 mm Hg; P = .48) at 24 months. The results remained unchanged at 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 6 months. For 12-month follow-up, there was a significant effect only in DBP (-2.44 mm Hg; P = .03).

Among the low SES older adults, PA intervention did not significantly decrease blood pressure. This null finding suggested that future interventions should be tailored for this population and should consider a longer study period.