Key result
The risks and benefits of antihypertensive treatment in patients aged 80 years and older remain unclear, highlighting the need for ongoing randomized controlled trials to guide management.
Why the study?
Does antihypertensive treatment improve outcomes in the very elderly (aged 80 years and over) with hypertension?
Does antihypertensive treatment improve outcomes in the very elderly (aged 80 years and over) with hypertension?
This review highlights the unclear risks and benefits of antihypertensive treatment in patients aged 80 years and older, noting that an ongoing randomized controlled trial will help resolve these issues.
Decisions on antihypertensive therapy in octogenarians warrant caution; leaves open net benefit until new RCTs report.
The world population is aging and disorders that are more prevalent in the elderly are of increasing importance. Hypertension falls into this category and has been linked to many adverse outcomes from stroke to mortality and dementia. Antihypertensive treatment has been shown to be successful in younger age groups but in those aged 80 years and over its benefits are not yet proven, and the risks and benefits of hypertension and antihypertensive treatment are unclear. Given this, it is useful to examine hypertension in the very elderly, the epidemiology, the likely impact of hypertension in this population, both physical and mental, and the as yet unclear issue of treatment. An ongoing, randomized, controlled trial in this age group will aid resolution of these issues and our understanding of this very elderly group.
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Peters et al. (2007) conducted a review in Hypertension. Antihypertensive treatment was evaluated. The risks and benefits of antihypertensive treatment in patients aged 80 years and older remain unclear, highlighting the need for ongoing randomized controlled trials to guide management.
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