Can you see your biological age in your blood pressure?

The blood pressure your doctor measures during a consultation already says something about your cardiovascular risk. Research involving more than 11,000 people has shown that even a standard office blood pressure reading predicts the risk of death and cardiovascular disease reasonably well. Yet that single measurement at the doctor's is not the same as knowing your biological age.

The most powerful information comes from a 24-hour blood pressure measurement that is also recorded during the night. Every 20-point rise in nighttime blood pressure is associated with a 23% higher risk of death and a 36% higher risk of a cardiovascular event over a period of nearly 14 years. Nighttime blood pressure is therefore a stronger measure than a single daytime reading. What makes this so interesting is that blood pressure normally drops during sleep. When that does not happen properly, it is a signal that your blood vessels and nervous system have become less flexible -- a process linked to ageing.

Does this mean your biological age can literally be read from your blood pressure? It is not that straightforward. The 24-hour measurement does add information, but the difference in predictive value compared with a standard office measurement is small in absolute terms. Blood pressure is one piece of the puzzle, not a complete clock.

Good news: blood pressure can be influenced. A randomised study among Black urban residents with mildly elevated blood pressure showed that home-delivered DASH meals (high in vegetables, fruit and wholegrains, low in salt) lowered systolic blood pressure by more than 3 points. The effect only persisted for as long as the deliveries continued. This shows that lifestyle really works, but also that you need to keep it up consistently.