Age and blood pressure changes. A 20-year follow-up study in nuns in a secluded order.

Abstract

In a prospective study, 144 white nuns belonging to a secluded monastic order and 138 white control laywomen were followed for 20 years to investigate whether living for a long time in a stress-free environment influences the effect of aging on blood pressure. Silence, meditation, and isolation from society are the distinctive features of the life-style examined. At study entry, blood pressure was not dissimilar in the nuns and the control group, but it increased over time only in the controls, with a mean slope of the regression line (beta coefficient) of 0.089 in the nuns (NS) and 2.171 in the controls (p less than 0.0001) for systolic blood pressure and of 0.054 in the nuns (NS) and 0.742 in the controls (p less than 0.0001) for diastolic blood pressure. Weight and body mass index increased similarly over time in the two groups. Family history of hypertension was not dissimilar between the groups. Serum cholesterol and triglycerides, higher at study entry in the nuns, increased similarly over time in the two groups. Twenty-four-hour urinary sodium excretion, collected randomly in both groups, did not differ over time between nuns and controls. None of the women smoked or used oral contraceptives. Educational level was higher in the control group, but subgroups of 48 nuns and 52 laywomen of comparable educational level maintained the same difference in the blood pressure trend over time as in the main cohort. Parity affected the increase of systolic, but not of diastolic, blood pressure with age among the laywomen, but nuns and no-childbirth controls maintained a significantly different blood pressure trend over time.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Urinary sodium excretion and blood pressure in chronic psychiatric in-patients

“…The lack of BP rise in nuns may be related to seclusion and to 'peaceful', stress-free, monastic environment, characterised by silence, meditation and isolation. 3 The present study also suggests that the difference between admission (and possibly 'stressed') BP and followup (after in-patient stay) BP levels was significantly related to sodium intake (as reflected by urinary sodium to creatinine ratio). The 'restrictiveness' of the hospital environment has previously been reported to influence BP in psychiatric in-patients.…”

“…[3][4][5] The reasons why these groups have lower blood pressures are uncertain and studies attempting to identify those factors 'protecting' them may help to identify the environmental factors causing high BP.…”

Religion, spirituality and cardiovascular disease: research, clinical implications, and opportunities in Brazil

“…Of those, 36 (57%) reported lower BP or less hypertension in those who were more R/S, whereas seven (11%) reported higher BP. When examining the higher quality studies (those rated 7 or higher on a 1-10 scale), 24 (62%) reported lower BP or less hypertension among those who were more R/S [161][162][163][164][165][166][167][168][169][170][171][172][173] or in response to a R/S intervention [174][175][176][177][178][179][180][181][182][183][184] (including two reports from a single study, one reporting results for the overall sample and one for the sample stratified by race). In contrast, seven studies reported higher blood pressure among the more religious, including two lower quality studies [185,186] and five high-quality studies (13%) [187][188][189][190][191].…”

Traitement de l'hypertension: ciblé sur le vieillard et la femme enceinte

“…Il semble qu'elle l'abaisse, mais à court terme seulement si le stress dé-clenchant n'est pas éliminé. Une étude prospective sur plus de 20 ans est intéressante à cet égard, qui a comparé les tensions artérielles de soeurs dans un couvent, au calme, à celles de femmes de même âge vivant dans des conditions moins tranquilles [3]. Comme prévu, l'hypertension n'est pas devenue le problème des soeurs, mais bien du groupe témoin.…”