The reduction in cardiovascular mortality and morbidity was primarily due to a reduction in cerebrovascular mortality and morbidity .
AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS Treating healthy adults 60 years or older with moderate to severe systolic and /or diastolic hypertension with antihypertensive drug therapy reduced all-cause mortality , cardiovascular mortality and morbidity , cerebrovascular mortality and morbidity , and coronary heart disease mortality and morbidity .
Most evidence of benefit pertains to a primary prevention population using a thiazide as first-line treatment
BACKGROUND This is the second substantive up date of this review .
It was originally published in 1998 and was previously up date d in 2009 .
Elevated blood pressure ( known as ' hypertension ' ) increases with age - most rapidly over age 60 .
Systolic hypertension is more strongly associated with cardiovascular disease than is diastolic hypertension , and it occurs more commonly in older people .
It is important to know the benefits and harms of antihypertensive treatment for hypertension in this age group , as well as separately for people 60 to 79 years old and people 80 years or older .
Prospective study on the treatment of mild hypertension in the aged.
The 4 year prospect i ve trial on the effectiveness of the antihypertensive treatment was performed in 100 mild hypertensive patients of the aged , the average age being 76.1 years . Dropouts during the drug-off control period were 9 cases . The matched pair group was selected by the age , sex , and blood pressure . Forty-four drug treated cases and 47 placebo treated cases were comparable in blood pressure as well as in laboratory data . Cerebrovascular and cardiac complications were observed in 4 cases or 10.5 % in the drug group , and in 9 cases or 22.0 % in the placebo group . When 8 cases of blood pressure elevation over 200/110 mmHg in the placebo group were added to the cardiovascular complications , dropouts in placebo group reached 41.5 % , and this showed the significant difference . Other complications were observed in 12 cases or 31.6 % in the drug group and in 17 cases or 41.5 % in the placebo group . Major complications were cancers , infections , and bone or joint diseases . Blood pressure was decreased from 171/87 to 151/80 in the drug group , and the average decrease was 20/7 mmHg in 4 year period . No significant changes in hematocrit , serum protein , urea nitrogen , uric acid , sodium , and potassium were observed during the trial period . The present study suggested that antihypertensive treatment was effective in the aged with mild hypertension , and that careful follow up was needed not only for cardiovascular complications but also for general health condition
The reduction in cardiovascular mortality and morbidity was primarily due to a reduction in cerebrovascular mortality and morbidity .
AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS Treating healthy adults 60 years or older with moderate to severe systolic and /or diastolic hypertension with antihypertensive drug therapy reduced all-cause mortality , cardiovascular mortality and morbidity , cerebrovascular mortality and morbidity , and coronary heart disease mortality and morbidity .
Most evidence of benefit pertains to a primary prevention population using a thiazide as first-line treatment
BACKGROUND This is the second substantive up date of this review .
It was originally published in 1998 and was previously up date d in 2009 .
Elevated blood pressure ( known as ' hypertension ' ) increases with age - most rapidly over age 60 .
Systolic hypertension is more strongly associated with cardiovascular disease than is diastolic hypertension , and it occurs more commonly in older people .
It is important to know the benefits and harms of antihypertensive treatment for hypertension in this age group , as well as separately for people 60 to 79 years old and people 80 years or older .