Abstract
This study investigated cardiovascular responses as risk factors for sudden death while bathing in the elderly. Forty-two males (mean age, 75.5 ± 7.6 years old) were involved in this study. Each subject took a full bath at 41-42°C for 5 min in the bathtub. Data on systolic and diastolic blood pressures, pulse, double product, pulse pressure and mean blood pressure were obtained. Two-way analysis of variance showed that there was an interaction between age and fluctuation of pulse (p<0.05). Changes in the other five items were not age-related. During bathing, pulse increased in subjects aged in their sixties and seventies, but in subjects over eighty, pulse was not increased. Although bathing in the tub requires the cardiovascular system to increase the pulse rate, subjects over eighty years old may be not able to achieve the appropriate physiological response. The absence of an increase in the pulse rate during bathing is a marked finding that may be a potential risk factor for sudden death while bathing.
