Long-term Monitoring of Changes in Blood Pressure, Blood Glucose, and Total Cholesterol Levels among Frail Older Individuals Receiving Home Health Care Nursing in South Korea

Figures & data

Table 1. Participants’ general characteristics (n = 499)

Variable		n (%)
Sex	Male	119	(23.8)
	Female	380	(76.2)
Age at registration (years)	60–69	157	(31.5)
	70–79	279	(55.9)
	≥80	63	(12.6)
	Mean ± SD	72.49 ± 5.38
Age in 2018 (years)	Mean ± SD	81.91 ± 5.56
Economic status	Below the minimum cost of living	242	(48.6)
	Slightly over the minimum cost of living	119	(23.9)
	Over the minimum cost of living	137	(27.5)
Numbers of family members	Lives alone	330	(66.1)
	2	141	(28.3)
	≥3	28	(5.6)
	Mean ± SD	1.41 ± 0.65
Disease morbidity	Hypertension	425	(85.2)
	Diabetes mellitus	183	(36.7)
	Hyperglycemia	71	(14.2)
	Arthritis	350	(70.1)
	Cerebrovascular accident	57	(11.4)
	Cancer	52	(10.4)
	Depression	16	(3.2)
	Dementia	22	(4.4)
	Disabled	78	(15.6)
	Fall	59	(11.8)
Numbers of comorbidities	Mean ± SD	3.88 ± 1.26

SD: standard deviation.

Table 2. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus (DM), and total cholesterol changes since registration

Variable	n	Observed mean	Estimated least square mean†	Δ Scores (95% CI, P)^†‡
		Mean ± SD	Mean (95% CI)
Systolic blood pressure (mmHg)
Baseline	341	140.96 ± 15.46	137.3 (134.84–139.75)	–
4 year	338	131.99 ± 13.93	129.89 (127.73–132.05)	–8.97 (–10.74–-7.21; P < .001)
8 year	309	125.48 ± 10.12	122.48 (120.25–124.71)	–15.78 (–17.6–-13.97; P < .001)
Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg)
Baseline	342	81.21 ± 11.8	80.33 (78.78–81.89)	–
4 year	338	78.28 ± 8.57	78.05 (76.74–79.37)	–2.92 (–4.22 to – 1.62; P < .001)
8 year	309	76.25 ± 7.03	75.78 (74.39–77.16)	–5.01 (–6.34 to – 3.68; P < .001)
Fasting blood glucose (mg/dl)
Baseline	98	117.07 ± 50.08	119.21 (105.42–133)	–
4 year	66	114.21 ± 29.33	109.57 (97.2–121.93)	–0.78 (–9.28 to – 10.85; P = .877)
8 year	32	98.44 ± 25.39	99.93 (86.3–113.55)	–10.71 (–24.49 to – 3.08; P = .126)
Total cholesterol (mg/dl)
Baseline	178	199.92 ± 35.79	199.93 (189.97–209.9)	-
4 year	249	200.78 ± 42.73	204.51 (194.99–214.02)	1.97 (–6.46 to – 10.41; P = .646)
8 year	113	209.85 ± 64.26	209.08 (197.27–220.89)	9.1 (–1.35 to – 19.55; P = .088)

^†Least square means were obtained from a mixed model repeated measures analysis after adjusting for age, sex, economic status, number of family members, and the number of diseases.

^‡The mean differences of each time point compared to baseline.

SD: standard deviation.

Table 3. Factors associated with changes in blood pressure, blood glucose, and total cholesterol levels

Variable	Systolic blood pressure (SBP)		Diastolic blood pressure (DBP)		Fasting blood glucose (FBG)		Total cholesterol
	Beta (95% CI)	P	Beta (95% CI)	P	Beta (95% CI)	P	Beta (95% CI)	P
Years managed	–1.86 (–2.09 to – 1.63)	< .01	–0.56 (–0.73 to – 0.4)	< .01	–2.42 (–4.02 to – 0.81)	< .01	1.16 (–0.19 to 2.5)	.09
Age at registration (years)
70–79	(Reference)		(Reference)		(Reference)		(Reference
80–89	2.1 (0.35 to 3.84)	.02	–0.89 (–1.97 to 0.19)	.11	–7.16 (–18.18 to 3.86)	.2	–2.43 (–9.91 to 5.05)	.52
90–99	1.75 (–1.14 to 4.65)	.23	–1.09 (–2.88 to 0.71)	.23	–13.52 (–35.53 to 8.49)	.23	4.5 (–8.58 to 17.59)	.5
Sex
Male	0 (Reference)		(Reference)		(Reference)		(Reference)
Female	0.4 (–1.55 to 2.35)	.69	–0.45 (–1.66 to 0.76)	.47	1.14 (–11.64 to 13.92)	.86	24.37 (15.6 to 33.14)	<.01
Economic status (cost of living)
Below the minimum	(Reference)		(Reference)		(Reference)		(Reference)
Slightly over the minimum	0.51 (–1.5 to 2.52)	.62	0.36 (–0.89 to 1.6)	.58	2.95 (–10.38 to 16.28)	.66	–4.5 (–13.18 to 4.19)	.31
Over the minimum	–1.27 (–3.23 to 0.69)	.2	–1.1 (–2.32 to 0.12)	.08	1.08 (–11.6 to 13.77)	.87	–1.68 (–10.13 to 6.77)	.7
Number of family members
Live alone	(Reference)		(Reference)		(Reference)		(Reference)
2	0.66 (–1.19 to 2.51)	.49	–1.08 (–2.23 to 0.07)	.07	8.7 (–3.97 to 21.37)	.18	7.32 (–0.96 to 15.6)	.08
≥ 3	2.64 (–0.87 to 6.16)	.14	1.13 (–1.05 to 3.3)	.31	–2.81 (–21.75 to 16.13)	.77	9.18 (–5.09 to 23.45)	.21
Number of comorbidities
1	(Reference)		(Reference)		(Reference)		(Reference)
2	3.42 (–3.97 to 10.82)	.36	1.1 (–3.47 to 5.66)	.64	8.97 (–31.47 to 49.41)	.66	–7.25 (–40.84 to 26.34)	.67
3	7.6 (0.36 to 14.85)	.04	1.83 (–2.64 to 6.3)	.42	10.8 (–28.92 to 50.52)	.59	–14.95 (–47.54 to 17.64)	.37
≥ 4	7.02 (–0.11 to 14.16)	.05	1.89 (–2.51 to 6.3)	.4	11.89 (–26.74 to 50.51)	.54	–16.72 (–48.86 to 15.42)	.31

Beta coefficient and its 95% confidence intervals were obtained from a mixed model repeated measures analysis after adjusting for age, sex, economic status, number of family members, and number of comorbidities.

Figure 1. Changes in blood pressure, blood glucose, and total cholesterol levels in participants during the monitoring period

^† Changes in outcome measurements for home health care nursing among frail older adults. Navy circles indicate the least square means on mixed model of repeated measures analysis after adjusting for age, sex, economic status, number of family members, and number of diseases. Red triangles indicate the observed means.SBG = systolic blood pressure; DBG = diastolic blood pressure; FBG = fasting blood glucose.