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A preliminary study of 758 adults older than 78 found that those with masked high blood pressure had a 70% higher rate of falls than peers whose blood pressure was high in both office and home readings. The finding is an association, not proof that masked hypertension causes falls, and the study was presented at an American Heart Association meeting.
A preliminary study of 758 adults older than 78 found that participants with masked high blood pressure—normal readings in a medical office but high readings at home—had a 70% higher rate of falls than those with high readings in both settings. Researchers presented the findings at the American Heart Association’s Hypertension Scientific Sessions in Arlington, Virginia, held October 7–11, 2026; the result shows an association and does not establish that masked hypertension causes falls.
The study grouped participants according to blood pressure readings taken in medical offices and at home. Researchers classified 15.4% as having masked high blood pressure, while 34.5% had high readings in both settings, a pattern described as sustained high blood pressure. Another 17.0% had high office readings but not high readings at home, known as white coat high blood pressure, and 33.2% had normal readings in both settings.
During a median follow-up of 350 days, nearly one in four participants—23.4%—reported having fallen at least once during the previous 12 months. The report also said that, when office and home blood pressure differences were analyzed as continuous measures, lower office readings relative to home readings were associated with a higher incidence of falls. The fall figure was self-reported, and the report does not establish that every reported fall occurred during the follow-up period.
Presenting author Frances Wang, a researcher at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, said home readings can add information that office measurements alone may miss. The study was described as preliminary research at the meeting; the supplied report does not provide details about a peer-reviewed publication or the full study methods.
Why Home Readings May Matter
Blood pressure assessed only in a clinic may not show the same pattern as readings taken at home. The study’s association suggests that checking both settings could help clinicians identify older adults whose blood pressure appears normal during an appointment but is elevated outside it. That may be relevant when clinicians evaluate fall risk and plan care, but the research does not show that home monitoring itself prevents falls or that treating masked high blood pressure will reduce them.
Falls can have serious consequences for older adults. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identifies falls as the leading cause of disability and functional decline among adults 65 and older. Karol E. Watson, an American Heart Association volunteer expert who was not involved in the study, said falls can contribute to losses in physical and mental function and independence. The findings add a possible blood pressure pattern for clinicians to examine alongside other factors; they are not evidence that blood pressure is the sole or direct cause of a fall.
For readers, the practical point raised by the researchers is to discuss home blood pressure measurements with a health care professional rather than relying on a single office reading. Decisions about monitoring or treatment should be made with a qualified clinician, particularly for older adults whose care may involve several health conditions or medicines.
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Office Readings Can Miss Hypertension
Masked high blood pressure describes a pattern in which readings are not high in the clinic but are elevated at home. The opposite pattern—high readings in the office but not at home—is commonly called white coat high blood pressure. The study compared these groups with participants whose readings were high in both settings and those whose readings were normal in both.
The American Heart Association’s 2025 joint guideline recommends annual blood pressure monitoring for all adults. It also recommends home monitoring to help confirm an office diagnosis, track blood pressure over time and inform care as part of an integrated plan. The report says the new findings align with that guidance; they do not, on their own, establish a new clinical recommendation.
Although low blood pressure is often considered in discussions of falls, the report notes emerging evidence associating high home blood pressure with falls in older adults. The current study contributes an observation about a specific group—adults older than 78—and should not automatically be applied to younger people or all older adults.
“In addition to office blood pressure measurement, home blood pressure readings can be an important way to identify hidden high blood pressure at home and risk of falls in older adults.”
— Frances Wang, Ph.D., M.S., study presenting author and researcher at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
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Cause and Study Limits
The study found that masked high blood pressure was associated with a higher fall rate, but it does not show why or establish that the blood pressure pattern caused participants to fall. Watson said the result may relate to blood pressure variability or how well older adults regulate blood pressure during the day, but presented those as possible explanations, not conclusions.
The report describes falls as self-reported and gives a median follow-up of 350 days, while the fall question covered the previous 12 months. It does not provide enough methodological detail to resolve how those time periods overlap, whether the association remained after accounting for other risk factors, or the size of the masked-hypertension subgroup. It also does not report whether the difference was statistically significant or whether results have been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
The comparison behind the 70% higher rate is specific: masked high blood pressure versus high blood pressure in both the office and at home among study participants older than 78. It should not be read as a comparison with people who had normal readings, as a 70% increase in an individual’s personal risk, or as proof of cause and effect.
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Further Research and Clinical Follow-Up
The findings were presented at the American Heart Association’s 2026 Hypertension Scientific Sessions. The supplied report does not announce a planned follow-up study, publication date or additional analysis, so those next steps remain unclear. Further research would be needed to test whether the association holds in other groups and to investigate possible explanations for the difference in fall rates.
In the meantime, the association’s existing guideline supports home monitoring as part of blood pressure assessment and care. Older adults and caregivers who collect readings can share them with a health care team, which can interpret them alongside office readings and the person’s broader health history. The study does not prescribe a monitoring schedule beyond the guideline’s general recommendations, and it does not justify changing medication or treatment without professional guidance.
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Key Questions
What is masked high blood pressure?
It is a pattern in which blood pressure readings are normal in a medical office but high at home. The study compared this group with participants whose readings were high in both settings, among others.
What did the study find about falls?
Among adults older than 78, masked high blood pressure was associated with a 70% higher rate of falls than high blood pressure readings in both the office and at home. This is an association, not proof that masked hypertension causes falls.
How many people took part?
The study included 758 adults older than 78. During a median follow-up of 350 days, 23.4% reported at least one fall in the previous 12 months.
Does the finding mean home monitoring prevents falls?
No. The study examined blood pressure patterns and their association with falls; it did not test whether home monitoring or a particular treatment prevents falls. Discuss readings and care decisions with a qualified health care professional.
Where and when were the findings presented?
The preliminary findings were presented at the American Heart Association’s Hypertension Scientific Sessions 2026, held in Arlington, Virginia, October 7–11.
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