Systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) and comorbidity in the elderly: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Physiological mechanisms of aging are associated with the onset of systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) in the elderly. The systemic repercussions of SAH favor the appearance of cardiovascular, neurological and endocrine diseases in the elderly. However, the association of SAH with the highest number of diseases in the elderly and consumption of drugs still needs scientific support. OBJECTIVE: To verify the number of diseases diagnosed in hypertensive and non-hypertensive elderly people. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of secondary data from the medical records of elderly people with active registration at the State Reference Center for Elderly Health Care (CREASI) in Salvador, Bahia from September 2018 to July 2019. Of the 3,158 records, 2,122 were identified elderly diagnosed with SAH. The collection was carried out by 13 assistant researchers who capture the data from the first evaluation. The data were analyzed descriptively with their measures of central tendency and dispersion. RESULT: Hypertensive elderly people had a higher age range and higher consumption of medication, but the impact of functionality was affected by the increased risk of falls in these individuals. CONCLUSION: SAH is associated with a greater number of cardiovascular, neurological and endocrine diseases, causing repercussions in the life of this elderly person, such as increased consumption of medication and increased risk of falls.