Meal-Induced Arterial Blood Pressure Variations in the Elderly

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Abstract
The effect of a standard meal on arterial blood pressure (ABP) was investigated in a group of 14 healthy elderly subjects (age ≥ 65 years) and 11 controls (age ≤ 45 years) by means of automated noninvasive ABP monitoring. The magnitude of postprandial ABP reduction was significantly greater in the elderly subjects (systolic ABP: ––22.3 ± 4.9 vs. ––7.5 ± 2.2 mm Hg; p < 0.05; diastolic ABP: ––13.7 ± 3.1 vs. ––6.2 ± 1.4 mm Hg; p < 0.05) and ABP decrease was not compensated by heart rate acceleration.