[Antihypertensive therapy in 357 inpatients of elderly isolated systolic hypertension]

To determine the therapeutic status and rate of reaching target blood pressure in elderly isolated systolic hypertension (EISH) patients who were hospitalized and to discuss the rationality of the drug therapy.

Three hundred and fifty-seven EISH inpatients were investigated retrospectively. The frequencies of using antihypertensive drugs and the strategy of drug therapy programs were calculated. The drug efficacies were assessed among various drug therapy groups.

The frequencies of using antihypertensive medicine categories were calcium channel blocker (CCB) 64. 15%, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) 32.77%, diuretics 26.33%, beta-blocker (BB) 25.77%, angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) 23.81%, and alpha-blocker 4.20%, respectively. Among the 357 cases 42.86% were treated with monotherapy while 57.14% with combined therapy. Among the combination therapy groups, the diuretic-based multiple therapy occupied 16.53%, and the non-diuretic-based multiple therapy held 40.62%. The systolic blood pressure control rate was 67.79%. The rate of diastolic blood pressure < or = 70 mmHg was 26.89%, 8 cases of them occurred myocardial ischemia.

How to select the optimal antihypertensive drug therapy for EISH patients is important in achieving the blood pressure goal. While thinking over intervention at lower blood pressure levels to achieve target goals, physicians should prevent from excessively lowering the diastolic blood pressure.