Does pharmacologic treatment to a target systolic blood pressure of less than 140 mm Hg reduce stroke or cardiac events compared to higher blood pressure targets in adults aged 60 years or older at high cardiovascular risk?
This clinical practice guideline recommends considering a systolic blood pressure target of <140 mm Hg for select adults aged 60 or older at high cardiovascular risk to reduce stroke and cardiac events.
ACP and AAFP recommend that clinicians consider initiating or intensifying pharmacologic treatment in some adults aged 60 years or older at high cardiovascular risk, based on individualized assessment, to achieve a target systolic blood pressure of less than 140 mm Hg to reduce the risk for stroke or cardiac events. (Grade: weak recommendation, low-quality evidence). ACP and AAFP recommend that clinicians select the treatment goals for adults aged 60 years or older based on a periodic discussion of the benefits and harms of specific blood pressure targets with the patient.
Qaseem et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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