Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Health Has Relationship with Age in Adults During Adulthood

Authors

Allyson K. Getty, Washington University in St. LouisFollow
Jessica M. Lenzo, Thomas Jefferson UniversityFollow
Tia R. Wisdo, Ursinus CollegeFollow
Joyann E. Oakman, Temple UniversityFollow
Christina M. Cromwell, Ursinus CollegeFollow
Jessica A. Hill, Drexel UniversityFollow
Lauren N. Chavis, Ursinus CollegeFollow
Deborah L. Feairheller, PhD, Ursinus CollegeFollow

Abstract

International Journal of Exercise Science 10(5): 798-806, 2017. Efforts to combat cardiovascular disease (CVD) have proven effective, especially in the population aged 55-74 years. However, less research has been conducted in younger populations to determine at what age CVD risk develops. The purpose of this study is to compare cardiovascular health markers in adults, specifically CVD risk between younger adults aged 18-22 and a slightly older group of adults in middle adulthood aged 23-54. Cardiovascular health measures were collected from a group of adults; 13 younger adults (20.2±0.9 yrs) and 10 adults in middle adulthood (42.9±10.1 yrs). All participants were free of CVD and diabetes, taking no cholesterol medication, and no more than one blood pressure (BP) medication. Cardiovascular measures included clinical and 24-hour BP, body mass index (BMI), fasted plasma glucose and cholesterol levels, and VO_2max. There was no difference in VO_2max, glucose and cholesterol levels, or clinical BP measures between the groups, but there were differences in diastolic 24-hour BP, daytime diastolic BP, and nighttime diastolic BP (p<0.05 for all). No relationship between 24-hour BP and cardiovascular health variables were observed in the younger group of adults. However, there was a relationship between 24-hour systolic BP and daytime systolic BP with glucose, HDL, and triglycerides in the group of adults aged 23-54 (p<0.05 for all). The results of the present study suggest that systolic BP may have an effect on CVD risk in adults over the age of 23 years.

Recommended Citation

Getty, Allyson K.; Lenzo, Jessica M.; Wisdo, Tia R.; Oakman, Joyann E.; Cromwell, Christina M.; Hill, Jessica A.; Chavis, Lauren N.; and Feairheller, PhD, Deborah L. (2017) "Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Health Has Relationship with Age in Adults During Adulthood," International Journal of Exercise Science: Vol. 10 : Iss. 5, Pages 798 - 806.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.70252/DVCU2384
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijes/vol10/iss5/15