Lower Blood Pressure and Apathy Coincide in Older Persons with Poorer Functional Ability: The Discontinuation of Antihypertensive Treatment in Elderly People (DANTE) Study Leiden

Objectives To examine the association between blood pressure (BP) measures and symptoms of apathy and depression in older adults with various levels of functional ability. Design Cross‐sectional study using baseline data from the Discontinuation of Antihypertensive Treatment in Elderly people (DANTE) Study Leiden. Setting Primary care setting, the Netherlands. Participants Community‐dwelling individuals aged 75 and older (N = 430). Measurements Systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were measured during home visits. Symptoms of apathy and depression were assessed using the Apathy Scale and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS‐15), respectively. Stratified linear regression was performed in participants with better and worse functional ability according to the median of the Groningen Activity Restriction Scale. Results In participants with lower functional ability, each 10‐mmHg lower SBP, DBP, and MAP was associated with higher Apathy Scale scores (0.63, 0.92, and 0.94 points, respectively, all P