[Treatment of hypertension in the elderly and its effects on the QOL]

Elderly patients have much more complex QOL problems as compared with young or middle-aged patients because of their specific social and psychological circumstances, as well as their multiple organ disorders. Specifically, one should take into account, in the treatment of hypertension in the elderly with respect to QOL, the effect of antihypertensive drugs on the cognitive function and the influence on other diseases or hypertensive complications. Most of the currently used antihypertensive drugs are shown to be inert to the cognitive function. In order to maintain or improve QOL of elderly hypertensive patients, adequate drugs should be selected individually. In general, ACE inhibitors, long-acting Ca antagonists are the drugs of choice for the treatment of hypertension in the elderly with regard to QOL.