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Geriatrics
Volume 10
Issue 4
10.3390/geriatrics10040101
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Brief Report

Treated but Uncontrolled: Characterizing Hypertension in a Sample of 357 Older Adults in the Southeastern United States

by
Rachel Helms
1,
Laura A. Robinson
1,2,
Paul S. Fiore
1,3,
Kelly P. Strickland
1,4,
Sarah O. Watts
1,
Felicia J. Tuggle
5,
Jennifer L. Slay
5,
Jeanna Sewell
6 and
Andrew D. Frugé
1,7,*
1
College of Nursing, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
2
Department of Nutritional Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
3
College of Science and Mathematics, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
4
College of Nursing, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA
5
Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
6
Harrison College of Pharmacy, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
7
School of Kinesiology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Geriatrics 2025, 10(4), 101; https://doi.org/10.3390/geriatrics10040101 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 28 March 2025 / Revised: 12 May 2025 / Accepted: 24 July 2025 / Published: 26 July 2025
Versions Notes

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Hypertension (HTN) continues to be a leading cause of death and disability in older adults, especially in the southeastern United States. A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the relationships among measured, diagnosed, and treated (HTN) in community-dwelling adults participating in student-led health screenings in eastern Alabama. Methods: Between 2017 and 2019, students from health-related disciplines facilitated screenings at 23 community and independent living sites to conduct health assessments, including measuring blood pressure (BP), obtaining medical history, and evaluating current prescriptions. Statistical analyses including chi-square tests, t-tests, and backward stepwise linear regression were performed. Results: The current sample includes data from 357 adults aged 60 to 99 years (mean age 74.6 ± 8.7), who were 70.9% females, 60.8% identifying as Black/African American (BA), and 36.8% residing in rural areas. The majority of clients had a prior HTN diagnosis (71.1%) and/or currently measured HTN (78.7%). Forty-three percent of adults screened had measured, diagnosed, and pharmaceutically treated HTN, while 31% had measured but untreated HTN. Black clients had higher measured systolic and diastolic BP and were more likely to also have been diagnosed with HTN (p < 0.05 for all). Linear regression indicated that lower systolic BP was predicted by not living alone (p = 0.003), White race (p = 0.004), and previous HTN diagnosis (p = 0.012), while female gender (p = 0.079) and decreasing body mass index (p = 0.053) had marginal predictive value. Conclusions: These results indicate that awareness and screening of HTN in this population are noteworthy, though management of the disease through ongoing screening and referrals is essential to reduce disparities.
Keywords: hypertension; older adults; pharmaceuticals; socioeconomic; disparities hypertension; older adults; pharmaceuticals; socioeconomic; disparities

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MDPI and ACS Style

Helms, R.; Robinson, L.A.; Fiore, P.S.; Strickland, K.P.; Watts, S.O.; Tuggle, F.J.; Slay, J.L.; Sewell, J.; Frugé, A.D. Treated but Uncontrolled: Characterizing Hypertension in a Sample of 357 Older Adults in the Southeastern United States. Geriatrics 2025, 10, 101. https://doi.org/10.3390/geriatrics10040101

AMA Style

Helms R, Robinson LA, Fiore PS, Strickland KP, Watts SO, Tuggle FJ, Slay JL, Sewell J, Frugé AD. Treated but Uncontrolled: Characterizing Hypertension in a Sample of 357 Older Adults in the Southeastern United States. Geriatrics. 2025; 10(4):101. https://doi.org/10.3390/geriatrics10040101

Chicago/Turabian Style

Helms, Rachel, Laura A. Robinson, Paul S. Fiore, Kelly P. Strickland, Sarah O. Watts, Felicia J. Tuggle, Jennifer L. Slay, Jeanna Sewell, and Andrew D. Frugé. 2025. "Treated but Uncontrolled: Characterizing Hypertension in a Sample of 357 Older Adults in the Southeastern United States" Geriatrics 10, no. 4: 101. https://doi.org/10.3390/geriatrics10040101

APA Style

Helms, R., Robinson, L. A., Fiore, P. S., Strickland, K. P., Watts, S. O., Tuggle, F. J., Slay, J. L., Sewell, J., & Frugé, A. D. (2025). Treated but Uncontrolled: Characterizing Hypertension in a Sample of 357 Older Adults in the Southeastern United States. Geriatrics, 10(4), 101. https://doi.org/10.3390/geriatrics10040101

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