Is it beneficial to treat hypertension in patients aged 80 years or older?

Nature Clinical Practice. Nephrology
Eberhard Ritz

Abstract

Blood pressure lowering has clear beneficial effects in terms of reducing the risk of stroke, cardiovascular events and cardiovascular mortality in the general population, but it is unclear whether treating hypertension in individuals aged >or=80 years is beneficial. This Practice Point commentary discusses a recent randomized, prospective study by Beckett et al., which found that antihypertensive therapy with indapamide-with or without perindopril--was associated with significant decreases in the rate of death from stroke, rate of heart failure and risk of all--cause mortality in individuals aged 80 years or older. These results indicate that treating hypertension in individuals in this age-group is no longer contraindicated because of a lack of evidence.

References

Sep 18, 2002·Kidney International·Ronald M A HenryCoen D A Stehouwer
Mar 8, 2007·Journal of the American Geriatrics Society·Daniel J OatesAnn M Borzecki
Apr 11, 2008·American Journal of Kidney Diseases : the Official Journal of the National Kidney Foundation·Peter A McCulloughUNKNOWN Kidney Early Evaluation Program Investigators
Apr 2, 2008·The New England Journal of Medicine·Nigel S BeckettUNKNOWN HYVET Study Group

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