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Blood pressure and ageing

Elisabete Pinto1

  • 1Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK. e.pinto@imperial.ac.uk

Postgraduate Medical Journal
|February 20, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Isolated systolic hypertension is common in older adults and linked to cardiovascular risk. While treatment benefits are clear for the elderly, evidence for the very elderly is lacking, posing potential mortality risks.

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Hypertension Research

Background:

  • Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) is the predominant form of hypertension in individuals over 50.
  • Arterial stiffening and structural changes contribute to age-related blood pressure increases.
  • Elevated blood pressure, particularly pulse pressure, signifies heightened cardiovascular risk in the elderly.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the evidence for treating isolated systolic hypertension in the elderly.
  • To assess the benefits and risks of antihypertensive treatment in older populations.
  • To identify gaps in evidence, especially concerning the very elderly.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on isolated systolic hypertension in aging populations.
  • Analysis of cardiovascular risk factors associated with hypertension in the elderly.
  • Evaluation of treatment efficacy and safety data for hypertensive elderly patients.

Main Results:

  • Treatment of elderly hypertensive patients demonstrably reduces cardiovascular event risk.
  • Increased pulse pressure is a key predictor of cardiovascular events in this demographic.
  • Evidence for treatment benefits in the very elderly (over 80 or 90) remains inconclusive.

Conclusions:

  • Antihypertensive treatment is generally recommended for elderly patients with ISH.
  • The very elderly may be more vulnerable to treatment side effects and potential mortality increases.
  • Further research is needed to establish optimal treatment strategies for the very elderly.

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