Prevalence of hypertension in adults with intellectual disability in the Netherlands.
Expect hypertension in about 1 in the adults with ID and plan extra time or alternative methods for BP measurement in those with severe/profound ID.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Dutch doctors checked blood pressure in the adults with intellectual disability. They wanted to know how many had high blood pressure.
Staff used normal cuffs and quiet rooms. If someone could not sit still, they tried again later or skipped the test.
What they found
17 out of every the adults had hypertension. This rate matches the general Dutch population.
In people with severe or profound ID, staff could not get a reading a large share of the time. Movement, fear, or tube feeding got in the way.
How this fits with other research
McCarron et al. (2022) later showed the same group can stay in a study for 11 years. Their a large share retention proves you can track blood pressure yearly if you keep visits short and use favorite staff.
Morad et al. (2007) used the same one-time survey style in Israeli centers. They counted constipation, we counted blood pressure. Both papers show basic health checks are doable in large ID groups.
McQuaid et al. (2024) also struggled to examine clients with severe ID. They found gallstones in a large share of tube-fed adults. Like us, they learned that profound disability demands creative positioning, extra time, or different tools.
Why it matters
You now know 1 in the adults with ID has hypertension. Add blood pressure to your annual assessment sheet. For clients who bolt, bite, or tube-feed, schedule a quiet slot, use a wrist cuff, or invite a trusted caregiver. Early detection prevents stroke and heart disease, so keep trying until you get the numbers.
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Add a blood-pressure box to your data sheet and bring a wrist cuff for clients who hate the big arm wrap.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Literature on the prevalence of hypertension in people with intellectual disability (ID) is mostly based on file studies or on measurements limited to the age group below 50 years. We measured and calculated the prevalence of hypertension in adults with ID and studied the distribution of hypertension in relation to age, gender, diagnosis of Down's syndrome and level of ID. METHODS: In an observational cross-sectional study, standardized blood pressure measurements were obtained from 258 randomly selected adult clients of three Dutch care providers for people with ID. Hypertension was defined as a mean systolic blood pressure above 140 mm Hg on repeated measurements. RESULTS: The overall prevalence rate of hypertension was 17.4% (95% CI 12.28-22.46). This was comparable to the prevalence in the general Dutch population. No accurate blood pressure measurement could be performed in 28.4% of people with severe and profound ID owing to repetitive physical activity or resistance. Hypertension was significantly related to older age and absence of Down's syndrome; no correlation with gender or level of ID could be shown. RECOMMENDATION: The risk factor hypertension should be detected and treated in the same manner as in the general population following national guidelines.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2009 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2008.01130.x