Elderly Adults With Masked High Blood Pressure Linked To Higher Risk Of Falls

TL;DR

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Preliminary research presented at the American Heart Association’s 2026 Hypertension Scientific Sessions found that adults older than 78 with masked high blood pressure had a 70% higher rate of falls than peers whose blood pressure was high both at home and in the office. The findings do not establish why the difference occurred or that masked high blood pressure caused falls.

Background

Masked high blood pressure describes a pattern in which readings taken at home are high even though office readings are not. The study also included participants categorized as having white coat high blood pressure, but the report does not define that pattern’s office and home readings. The study compared these categories among adults older than 78, allowing the researchers to examine whether differences between settings were associated with reported falls.

The American Heart Association’s 2025 joint guideline on high blood pressure recommends annual blood pressure monitoring for adults. It also recommends home monitoring to help confirm an office diagnosis, track blood pressure and inform care as part of an integrated plan. Those recommendations provide the clinical backdrop for the study, but the guideline does not establish that home monitoring prevents falls.

The findings were presented as preliminary research at the association’s scientific sessions, held October 7–11, 2026. They should be read as an early report of an observed relationship, rather than as evidence that a specific intervention will lower fall risk.

Source: rss