[Reference values of laboratory tests in elderly subjects--blood pressure]

The upper limits of normal blood pressure have been considered to be 139 mmHg systolic and 89 mmHg diastolic for adults, but these values are not necessarily applicable to the elderly. This report presents blood pressure values of healthy persons aged 65 to 94 and estimates the upper limits of normal blood pressure in the elderly based on follow-up studies. The Blood Pressure Subgroup of the Study on Reference Values of Laboratory Tests in Elderly Subjects defined inclusion criteria for the healthy elderly as follows: (1) persons aged 65 to 94, (2) persons not complicated with cardiovascular diseases, (3) persons capable of living and walking freely, (4) persons without dementia, (5) persons without anemia, liver disease, renal failure, diabetes mellitus on drug treatment, lung disease, valvular disease or marked arrhythmias, (6) persons without neuromotor disease. The subgroup collected 2008 persons who fulfilled the criteria. Of the 2008 persons, 663 were not taking antihypertensive drugs, had body weight within an average Body Mass Index +/- standard deviation and had no abnormalities on ECG. The 663 persons were considered to be a group of most the normal elderly. Blood pressure values in this group were 133.3 +/- 18.9/77.0 +/- 10.6 mmHg for males (N = 318) and 134.3 +/- 18.7/75.7 +/- 10.2 mmHg for females (N = 345). Follow-up studies carried out by some members of the Blood Pressure Subgroup suggested that the upper limits of the normal blood pressure were 140 to 159 mmHg systolic and 80 to 89 mmHg diastolic for the elderly.