Antihypertensive treatment in the elderly should aim to reduce vascular resistance without compromising blood supply to vital organs, often requiring a compromise to maintain quality of life.
Treatment of hypertension in the elderly requires careful consideration of age-related pathophysiological and pharmacological changes to balance blood pressure control with quality of life.
SummaryHypertension in the elderly is a separate entity characterized by a low cardiac output, impaired myocardial reserve, high peripheral resistance, and contracted intravascular volume. When compared with young subjects with similar arterial pressure, elderly patients have a decreased arterial compliance, renal blood flow, elevated circulating norepinephrine levels, and an increased myocardial mass. Moreover; absorption, protein binding, metabolism, and excretion of various drugs are different in the aged. These pathophysiological and pharmacological alterations have to be taken into account when treating the elderly patient with high blood pressure. Antihypertensive treatment should aim at reducing vascular resistance without affecting systemic flow or compromising blood supply to vital organs such as heart, brain, or kidneys. Often a compromise has to be made between achieving an ideal level of arterial pressure by vigorous antihypertensive treatment and maintaining quality of life with a mild antihypertensive regimen.Key Words:: Hypertensionageddrug therapy
Franz H. Messerli (Fri,) conducted a review in Hypertension in the elderly. Antihypertensive treatment was evaluated. Antihypertensive treatment in the elderly should aim to reduce vascular resistance without compromising blood supply to vital organs, often requiring a compromise to maintain quality of life.