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 .
Nonpharmacologic intervention to reduce blood pressure in older patients with mild hypertension.
BACKGROUND Although nonpharmacologic interventions are widely recommended in the therapy of high blood pressure in older adults , surprisingly little data exist to confirm the efficacy of these interventions in older persons . METHODS We conducted a r and omized , controlled clinical trial in persons aged 60 to 85 years with a diastolic blood pressure of 85 to 100 mm Hg . The experimental arm was a nonpharmacologic intervention combining weight reduction , sodium restriction , and increased physical activity . The nonpharmacologic intervention consisted of eight weekly group and two individual sessions during the intensive phase , followed by four monthly group sessions during the maintenance phase . The control group received no treatment during the study .  Blood pressure was assessed by certified technicians ( blinded to group assignment ) using r and om zero sphygmomanometers . RESULTS Of 56 participants r and omized , 47 completed the entire 6-month trial ( 21 in the intervention group and 26 in the control group ) . Attendance at the intervention sessions was excellent . The intervention group lost more weight ( -2.1 kg ) over 6 months than the control group ( + 0.3 kg ) . Trends for decreasing 24-hour urine sodium excretion in both the intervention and control groups , with greater trend in the intervention group , were not statistically significant . The intervention group experienced more reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure than did the control group ( mean differences between groups at 6 months , 4.2/4.9 mm Hg , respectively ) . CONCLUSIONS Our data indicate that a nonpharmacologic intervention will lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels in older people with borderline or mild elevations of diastolic blood pressure
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 .