Sustained SBP control and long-term nursing home admission among Medicare beneficiaries

OBJECTIVES: Sustaining SBP control reduces the risk for cardiovascular events that impair function but its association with nursing home admission has not been well studied. METHODS: We conducted an analysis of sustained SBP control and long-term nursing home admissions using data from the Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial (ALLHAT) linked to Medicare claims restricted to participants with fee-for-service coverage, at least eight study visits with SBP measurements, who were not living in a nursing home during a 48-month baseline BP assessment period (n = 6557). Sustained SBP control was defined as less than 140 mmHg at less than 50%, 50% to less than 75%, 75% to less than 100%, and 100% of visits. Nursing home admissions were identified using the Medicare Long Term Care Minimum Data Set. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 73.8 years and 44.3% were men. Over a median follow-up of 9.2 years, 844 participants (12.8%) had a nursing home admission. Rates of nursing home admission per 100 person-years were 16.3 for participants with SBP control at less than 50%, 14.1 at 50% to less than 75%, 7.8 at 75% to less than 100%, and 5.3 at 100% of visits. Compared with those with sustained SBP control at less than 50% of visits, hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for nursing home admission were 0.79 (0.66-0.93), 0.70 (0.58-0.84), and 0.57 (0.44-0.74) among participants with SBP control at 50% to less than 75%, 75% to less than 100%, and 100% of visits, respectively. CONCLUSION: Among Medicare beneficiaries in ALLHAT, sustained SBP control was associated with a lower risk of long-term nursing home admission.