Beneficial Effects of Senior Functional Fitness to Manage Blood Pressure in Community-dwelling Older Adults

Abstract

PURPOSE: To investigate the relationships and difference of senior functional fitness between varied levels of blood pressure (BP) and functional fitness assessments with community-dwelling older adults. METHOD: 1003 community-dwelling residents aged 65to 95(Male, n = 384, age =74 yrs; female, n = 615, age =69 yrs) volunteered to participate in the study during 2010-2015. Participants completed 6 functional fitness tests, blood pressure measured and a health-screening questionnaire. The senior functional fitness including flexibility, muscle strength, muscle endurance, aerobic endurance, and body agility/dynamic balance. The classification of Blood Pressure for Adults :Normal systolic blood pressure(SBP)<120 and diastolic blood pressure(DBP)<80mmHg(NOR);Prehypertension SBP 120–139 or DBP 80–89 mmHg(PRE);Stage 1 hypertension SBP 140–159 or DBP 90–99mmHg(1st);Stage 2 hypertension SBP ≥160 or DBP or ≥100 mmHg (2nd). One-way ANOVA and Pearson’s product moment correlation were used to determine plasticity of functional fitness of individual BP. RESULT: Senior functional fitness had the significant correlations with blood pressure (p<.05). In aerobic endurance, NOR is better than 2nd (1.36%) (p<.005). Furthermore, significant differences were observed in lower limbs muscle endurance, NOR is higher than 1st and 2nd (8.71%,1.46%)(p<.005). In lower body flexibility, NOR is better than 2nd (98.51%) (p<0.005). However, in upper body flexibility, NOR and PRE were better than 1st and 2nd (p<.005). In body agility/dynamic balance, NOR is faster than 1st and 2nd (9.87%, 16.4%) (p<0.005). CONCLUSION: The participants with better control of the blood pressure have better lower extremity muscle endurance, ability, balance, lower and upper extremity flexibility. The cardiovascular function and upper body flexibility were the most direct influence factors to prevent or manage hypertension. Keywords: prehypertension, older adults, functional fitness