Treating hypertension in older adults: Beyond the guidelines

Hypertension in older adults is extremely common. It constitutes the major modifiable risk factor of cardiovascular disease, premature disability, and death. Despite proven benefits of blood pressure (BP) reduction in older individuals, there is a considerable disagreement between major guidelines surrounding the optimal levels of BP treatment and control to be achieved. Given the high prevalence of older adults with hypertension, nurse practitioners should critically examine the overall benefit of treatment, use of antihypertensive therapies, and BP targets to provide high-quality care to this patient population. The purpose of this article is to outline the evidence surrounding the management of BP in older adults and to offer strategies to reconcile conflicting guideline recommendations.