Effects of farm work time on blood pressure and blood cells in rural aged farmers

Abstract

To clarify the effect of farm work time on blood pressure and blood cells status, 27 male and 29 female aged healthy farmers (70-86 years old) were asked weekly farm work times, measured forearm blood pressures and collected venous bloods. They were categorized by sex, by age (70-79 y and 80- y) and by weekly farm work hours (0; no-N, s 28; moderate-M, >28 h/w; heavy farm work time group H-FW). Systolic blood pressures of male and female H-FW were significantly lower than those of MFW, and diastolic blood pressures, hemoglobin concentrations, hematocrit values, mean cell volumes and mean cell hemoglobin concentrations of red blood cells showed same tendency in 70- 79 y. White blood cell numbers also tended to decrease by farm work in 80- y males and females, and platelet numbers tended to be high in females and M-FW. These results suggested that farm work time effects on blood pressure, anemic tendency, and blood cells status.