POSTURAL CHANGES IN HEART RATE AND BLOOD PRESSURE WITH AGEING

Introduction: The change in arterial blood pressure and heart rate is one of the generally known physiological changes in aging of man. The present study was intended to evaluate BP and HR changes with age. Aim: The objective of the study is to know the prevalence of orthostatic hypotension in healthy geriatric subjects. Materials and Methods: The subjects selected are 120 in number with age group 35 to >65 years of both sex and they are categorized into 4 groups based on their age. GroupI: The age of 35-45 years; Group-II: The age of 4555 years; Group-III: The age of 55-65 Years; Group-IV: The age of >65 years. Blood Pressure is recorded by using manual sphygmomanometer and orthostatic test was conducted in all the subjects. Heart Rate was calculated by using R-R interval by ECG machine. Results: The examination of parameters, body mass index, Heart Rate, systolic and diastolic Blood Pressure during resting, immediate standing, after three minutes of standing i.e., postural variations were estimated for all subjects. The data was analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. Discussion: The findings suggested that the mean SBP and DBP are higher in Group IV compared to Group I which is statistically highly significant. After immediate standing in all the subjects the SBP is decreased and DBP is increased and this variation is variable in different groups. The Heart Rate in all four Groups increases. And this variation is also variable in different groups. Conclusion: This study concluded that BP increases with increase in age due to stiffening of Blood vessels but the postural decrease in SBP in standing from lying down posture was more in elderly. Orthostatic Hypotension was found in only one elderly. So Orthostatic Hypotension was less prevalent in healthy elderly.