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[Blood pressure control by antihypertensive agents in people older than 60]

C Perret-Guillaume1, P Miget, C Aubry

  • 1Centre de Gériatrie, Hôpital de Brabois, CHU de Nancy, rue du Morvan, 54500 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France. c.perret-guillaume@chu-nancy.fr

La Revue De Medecine Interne
|March 7, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Systolic hypertension is common in older adults, with 40% having elevated blood pressure. Better treatment is needed to manage systolic blood pressure and reduce cardiovascular risk in this population.

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Cardiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Hypertension prevalence significantly increases with age, exceeding 50% in individuals 60 years and older.
  • Elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) is a primary risk factor for cardiovascular events in the aging population.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess risk factors, specifically blood pressure and treatment adherence, in seemingly healthy older adults aged 60 and above.
  • To evaluate the management of hypertension in an elderly population undergoing age-adapted periodic check-ups.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of blood pressure and hypertension treatments in 1638 individuals (mean age 68 years) between April and December 2003.
  • Data collected during periodic health check-ups tailored for older adults.

Main Results:

  • 40% of participants had SBP ≥140 mmHg, and 6% had DBP ≥90 mmHg.
  • 473 individuals (29%) were on hypertension treatment, with 50% achieving controlled SBP and DBP. A significant portion (42%) had uncontrolled SBP despite controlled DBP.

Conclusions:

  • The study highlights a substantial prevalence of uncontrolled systolic hypertension in older adults.
  • Findings underscore the critical need for improved therapeutic strategies targeting systolic hypertension to mitigate cardiovascular risk in the elderly.
Abstract

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