Elderly With Low Blood Pressure More Likely to Be Depressed
The link between low blood pressure and depression symptoms is not well understood, says Goodwin. This study "by no means proves that low blood pressure causes those symptoms. Indeed, the opposite case is just as likely, that people with underlying illness may have both low blood pressure and feel bad."
Low blood pressure can be a problem for elderly patients, but is frequently unrecognized, Roy Freeman, MD, tells WebMD. "Patients should be aware of [low blood pressure] problems such as dizziness and light-headedness, as well as less obvious symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, [difficulties in thinking], and depression," he says. "Although low blood pressure in general is good, it should not be too low."
Freeman, who was not involved in the study, is a low blood pressure expert and an associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School in Boston, where he is a staff physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Vital Information:
Elderly With Low Blood Pressure More Likely to Be Depressed
The link between low blood pressure and depression symptoms is not well understood, says Goodwin. This study "by no means proves that low blood pressure causes those symptoms. Indeed, the opposite case is just as likely, that people with underlying illness may have both low blood pressure and feel bad."
Low blood pressure can be a problem for elderly patients, but is frequently unrecognized, Roy Freeman, MD, tells WebMD. "Patients should be aware of [low blood pressure] problems such as dizziness and light-headedness, as well as less obvious symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, [difficulties in thinking], and depression," he says. "Although low blood pressure in general is good, it should not be too low."
Freeman, who was not involved in the study, is a low blood pressure expert and an associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School in Boston, where he is a staff physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Vital Information:
- New research shows that elderly patients with low blood pressure are more likely to have symptoms of depression.
- Researchers do not know whether low blood pressure causes depression, or whether some other illness causes both conditions, and caution that attempting to raise blood pressure is unsafe.
- Low blood pressure is a frequently unrecognized problem that can cause other symptoms such as dizziness, weakness, and fatigue.