December 28, 1994JAMA
Hypertension in the elderly. Implications and generalizability of randomized trials
Why the study?
Does antihypertensive drug therapy reduce morbidity and mortality in elderly hypertensive patients, and how do these benefits compare to younger subjects?
Population
16,564 elderly persons from 13 trials and approximately 33,000 younger and middle-aged adults from 12 trials…
Comparison
Antihypertensive drug therapy for at least 1 year. vs Control groups from the included randomized…
Design
Meta-analysis
Follow-up
5 years (NNT calculated for 5-year timeframe)
Authors
Discussion
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Implication
Antihypertensive therapy should be prioritized in elderly hypertensives; confirms larger absolute benefits than in younger patients.
Structured PICO
Does antihypertensive drug therapy reduce morbidity and mortality in elderly hypertensive patients, and how do these benefits compare to younger subjects?
P
Population
16,564 elderly persons (age ≥60 years) from 13 trials and approximately 33,000 younger and middle-aged adults from 12 trials with hypertension.
I
Intervention
Antihypertensive drug therapy for at least 1 year.
C
Comparator
Control groups from the included randomized trials.
O
Outcome
Morbidity and mortality outcomes including cerebrovascular events, coronary heart disease events, and cardiac mortality.hard clinical
Antihypertensive drug therapy is highly efficacious in older adults, yielding greater absolute morbidity and mortality benefits over 5 years compared to younger patients.
Limitations
- The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, cardiovascular disease, and competing comorbid diseases was lower among trial participants than the general population of hypertensive elderly persons, limiting generalizability.
Cite This Study
Cynthia D. Mulrow (1994) studied this question.