ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the regional disparity in life expectancy (LE), active life expectancy (ALE), active life expectancy/life expectancy (ALE/LE) of the elderly in Beijing and to express the impact of hypertension upon those indices. Methods The sample was derived from a 'Beijing multidimensional longitudinal study on aging', including those from urban district (Xuanwu), rural district (Daxing and Huairou) by well-established statistical sampling techniques. Baseline survey comprised 1847 people aged 60 years or over, living in the communities in Beijing in 2004. The subjects under research were investigated with questionnaires at home by well-trained interviews and the contents would include: degree of education, occupation, medical history of hypertension together with repeated blood pressure measurements. Someone being 'active' was defined as the ability in performing activities of daily life (ADL). IMaCH software for multi-state life table method was used to calculate the life expectancy (LE), active life expectancy (ALE) and active life expectancy/life expectancy (ALF/LE) in different district and the hypertensive exert influence on those indices. Results Data from the study showed that people inhabited in the rural district had lower LE, ALE and degree of education (illiteracy account for 66.2 percentage), but with more physical activities (account for 95.5 percentage) and higher ALE/LE than urban district people.Regional disparity in Females was obvious than in males while hypertension would exert more influence on LE of the urban women, which widened the gap in LE, ALE of males and ALE of females between the urban and rural areas. Conclusion Regional disparity was found existing in LE,ALE, ALE/LE of the elderly from Beijing, particularly in females. Hypertension widened the gap and decreased the quality of life on senior citizens in the rural areas. This finding underlined the influence of habitation on the quality of life which manifested the importance of prevention regarding high blood pressure.
ABSTRACT
Objective The aim of this study is to explore the influence of hypertension on life expectancy (LE), active life expectancy (ALE) and active life expectancy/life expectancy (ALE/LE) among senior citizens in Beijing. Methods The sample derived from Beijing multidimensional longitudinal study on aging, baseline survey consisted of 1847 elderly people aged 60 years and over dwelling in the communities from one urban district (Xuanwu),one suburban country (Daxing) and one mountainous country (Huairou) in Beijing, 2004. Cluster, stratified and randomly selected sampling technique was used and a follow-up program was carried out in 2007. The subjects were invited to fill in questionnaires at home through well-trained interviewers, together with medical history of hypertension and repeated blood pressure measurements adopted. The state of activity was defined according to whether they could perform activities of daily life (ADL). IMaCH software for multi-state life table method was used to calculate the life expectancy(LE), active life expectancy (ALE) and active life expectancy/life expectancy(ALE/LE) in people with hypertension and normal blood tension, as well as on those people with hypertension with or without cardio-cerebral disease.Results The study manifested that hypertensives were associated with the reduction of LE,ALE and ALE/LE compared to the normotensives. The ALE/LE was descending along with ageing, and the speed of reduction was much faster in the hypertensive group, especially within senile population. LE,ALE and ALE/LE among the hypertensives with cardio-cerebral vascular diseases were shorter than the hypertensives without the disease. Difference in ALE/LE was striking in people with virile senility.Conclusion Hypertension remarkably impacted the active life expectancy on senior citizens living in Beijing, especially for elderly. Hypertensives with cardio-cerebral vascular diseases exerted further influence on active life expectancy, particularly among population of virile senility. The finding underlined the tremendous importance of preventing high blood pressure and its complication.