Key result
Antihypertensive medications cut stroke risk ~17% and lower blood pressure in elderly patients.
Why the study?
Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular events, and the study aimed to assess the impact of various antihypertensive monotherapies on blood pressure and cardiovascular outcomes in the elderly population.
Does antihypertensive medication monotherapy reduce blood pressure and cardiovascular events in adults over 60 years of age?
Meta-Analysis
Does antihypertensive medication monotherapy reduce blood pressure and cardiovascular events in adults over 60 years of age?
Antihypertensive monotherapy in adults over 60 years of age significantly reduces blood pressure and the risk of stroke and cardiovascular mortality.
Supports antihypertensive monotherapy as first-line in adults over 60; reinforces guidelines for stroke prevention.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. One of the main risk factors for cardiovascular events is hypertension. The use of antihypertensive drugs can protect against these events. It occurs directly through the control of hypertension and indirectly through other cardiovascular effects. This meta-analysis and systematic review aimed to assess the impact of various antihypertensive medications (ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, diuretics, etc.) on blood pressure and various cardiovascular outcomes. A thorough search was conducted using several online databases and search engines, including PubMed, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Medline, Embase, and others. RCTs evaluating the impact of antihypertensive medications on BP and other cardiovascular events like coronary heart disease and stroke were included in this study. Included were studies detailing the use of antihypertensive medication in monotherapy. The meta-analysis was done using RevMan version 5.4 software (Cochrane Collaboration, London, UK). Means and standard deviations were extracted for the continuous variables and events, and the total sample number was extracted for the dichotomous variables. This analysis encompassed a total of 18 RCTs of the elderly population. The data for each variable was extracted independently, and analysis was performed. Overall, systolic blood pressure (SBP) revealed an impact of -11.88, CI=95% (-20.56, -3.19). The diastolic blood pressure (DBP) showed -5.41, CI=95% (-9.62, -1.20), myocardial infarction 0.92, CI=95% (0.82, 1.04), stroke 0.83, CI=95% (0.74, 0.94), and cardiovascular mortality 0.93, CI=95% (0.86, 1.00). Heterogeneity was present due to the variable sample size of the studies and other unidentified biases. In conclusion, there was a significant reduction in the elderly population's risk of stroke, myocardial infarction, and cardiovascular death when antihypertensive medications were taken.
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Chaudhry et al. (2024) conducted a meta-analysis in Hypertension and Cardiovascular Events. Antihypertensive medications vs. Placebo or control was evaluated on Stroke (d 0.83, 95% CI 0.74, 0.94, p=0.003). Antihypertensive medications significantly reduced the risk of stroke (d 0.83) and lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure in the elderly population.
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