Introduction: High blood pressure especially systolic hypertension is a common condition in the elderly and is considered as a major determinant not only of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality, but also of several other age-related diseases, frailty and loss of autonomy. Actually, the association between BP levels and morbidity and mortality in the very elderly persons with several co-morbidities remains a controversial issue

Objectives: The aim of the PARTAGE study (Predictive values of blood pressure and arterial stiffness in institutionalized very aged population)is to determine the predictive value of blood pressure (BP) and arterial stiffness for overall mortality, major cardiovascular events and cognitive decline in a large population of institutionalized subjects aged 80 and over.

Methods: The population is composed of 1130 subjects aged over 80, living in nursing home, included by four french university hospitals centre (Nancy, Dijon, Paris, Toulouse) and two Italian (Cesena, Verona). Subjects with severe dementia and a very low level of autonomy are excluded from the study During the first visit, blood pressure were measured using an automatic monitor by physician in sitting and standing position (clinical BP and Orthostatic BP) and by a self measurement of blood pressure 3 measurements, in the morning and the evening, during 3 consecutive days).

Arterial stiffness is evaluated by measuring the carotid-femoral and carotid-radial pulse wave velocity (PWV) with the PulsePen® automatic device. Deaths and cardiovascular events are recorded during a follow-up of 2 years.

The hypothesis of the PARTAGE longitudinal study is that in very elderly frail individuals with multiple co-morbidities, CV risk could be better evaluated by combining self-measurements of BP and direct evaluation of arterial stiffness which are less influenced by the above mentioned disease and co-morbidities.

The aim of PARTAGE study (Predictive values of blood pressure and arterial stiffness in institutionalized very aged population) is to determine the predictive value of blood pressure (BP) and arterial stiffness estimated by pulse wave velocity (PWV) on overall mortality, major CV events and cognitive decline in a large population of subjects living in nursing homes aged 80 and over.

Method:

Participants are included if they are aged 80 year old and over, are institutionalized and if they have signed the informed consent.

Persons are excluded if they have severe dementia (Mini Mental Status Examination: MMSE<12), a low level of autonomy (Activity of daily living: ADL≤2) and they are under guardianship or "a measure of legal protection".

All geriatric assessment instruments and arterial measures are applied by several trained medical research teams (geriatricians, cardiologists, psychologists) present at each university hospitals centre. All medical teams received the same standard operating procedures. All the assessments are performed in the nursing homes.

Clinical data collection During the first visit in the nursing home, the medical research team collect a large amount of information during a face-to-face interview and from patient's medical records. Following information are recorded for each participant in a case report form (CRF): sociodemographic characteristics, educational level, medical history, chronic diseases (cardio vascular, central nervous system, respiratory), depressive symptoms, history of falls, co morbidity and medication use.

Additionally, a clinical examination of functional status, cognitive function, blood pressure and arterial stiffness are realized by medical research teams.

• Comorbidities are quantified using the Charlson combined comorbidity index.
• Functional status is evaluated by the Katz Index of independence in ability in activities of daily living (ADL) (bathing, dressing, going to the toilet, transferring from bed to chair, continence and feeding).
• Cognitive status was assessed using the Mini-Mental-Status-Examination (MMSE), which is a global measurement of cognitive function evaluating various dimensions of cognition (memory, calculation, orientation in space and time, language, and word recognition).

Peripheral blood pressure measurements:

Peripheral BP and heart rate (HR) are performed at brachial artery level using the validated automated oscillometric device Colson DM-H20 (Dupont Médical, Frouard, France). Both clinical and self-measurement of blood pressure are performed in this study.

• Clinical BP measurements are performed in the morning (from 8 am to noon), by doctors or nurses, in the patient's room or in the infirmary of the institute, after 10 minutes rest. All measurements are repeated three times, with intervals of 3 min on the left arm in a sitting position without replacing the cuff between the three measurements, according to the specific recommendations of the European Society of Hypertension.
• Self-measurements of BP are performed following the rule of 3 (3 measurements morning and evening during 3 consecutive days) according to the protocol proposed by the French society of hypertension. Self-measurements are performed by the subject her/himself in the room where he/she lives habitually. In case of difficulty, measurement are realized with the assistance of the nurse of the medical research team or of the institution.

Central blood pressure measurement Central BP values and aortic pressure waveform are obtained from the common carotid waveform using applanation tonometry. The PulsePen device (DiaTecne srl, Milan, Italy), a validated, easy to use, high-fidelity tonometer is used.

Pulse wave velocity PulsePen device is also used to measuring carotid-radial pulse wave velocity (PWV) which reflects upper limb arterial stiffness and carotid-femoral PWV corresponding to the aortic stiffness.

Follow-up data:

Medical research teams record every 3 months during a follow-up of 2 years deaths and following cardiovascular events: stroke, transient ischemic attack, myocardial infarction, unstable angina, acute pulmonary oedema, aortic aneurysm rupture, peripheral arterial thromboembolism, venous thrombosis and other major cardiovascular event. Moreover, a new assessment of autonomy, by ADL, and cognitive functions, by MMSE, are achieved in the cohort by the research teams one year and two year after the first visit.

Inclusion Criteria:

• women and men aged 80 year old and over
• living in nursing home
• who signed the informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• severe dementia (Mini Mental Status Examination: MMSE<12)
• a low level of autonomy (Activity of daily living: ADL≤2)
• under guardianship or "a measure of legal protection".

This population-based study included 1200 voluntary subjects aged 80 and older, living in nursing home, included by four french university hospitals centre (Nancy, Dijon, Paris, Toulouse) and two Italian (Cesena, Verona).