A recent study: Exposure to fraud raises the pressure of elderly men

Blood pressure is slightly elevated, if the measurement values ​​range between 140/90 mm Hg and 159/99 mm Hg, while the normal value is 120/80 mm Hg.  (Publishing is free for dpa customers. The image may only be used with the aforementioned text and provided that its source is indicated.) Lens: dpa

A recent study of elderly people found that exposure to financial exploitation, fraudulent schemes and deception may raise a person's blood pressure.

The study was conducted by researchers led by Dr. Melissa Lamar of Rush University Medical Center in the United States, and was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society  and carried by Urick Alert.

The study found that victimization was associated with high blood pressure only in men.

Infographic of blood pressure levels, high blood pressure

The study included 1,200 elderly people from the Rush Memory and Aging project.

During up to 11 years of annual observations, participants were asked about victimization and had serial blood pressure measurements taken.

The men showed a rise in blood pressure after the fraud, which may portend poor health over time.

Each year, more than 5 million older Americans fall victim to financial exploitation or fraud, and this abuse is associated with increased hospitalization, admission to hospice facilities, and lower 5-year survival rates, the researchers said.

"These findings demonstrate that fraud victimization has public health consequences, and underscore the need for efforts to prevent abuse," said Dr. Melissa Lamar.

Hypertension

According to the World Health Organization , high blood pressure is diagnosed if its measurement on two different days shows that the systolic blood pressure on both days is equal to or greater than 140 mm Hg and/or the diastolic blood pressure on both days is equal to or greater than 90 mm Hg.

Systolic blood pressure is the pressure inside the blood vessels while the heart is contracting or beating, and diastolic blood pressure is the pressure inside the blood vessels while the heart is resting between beats.

It is important to deal with high blood pressure, because it has serious complications, as high blood pressure can cause serious damage to the heart, as excessive pressure may lead to atherosclerosis, which reduces blood flow and oxygen to the heart, according to the World Health Organization.