Dr Syme added, There is evidence that hypertension control is often inadequate in older people and, as the proportion of elderly will increase, it is likely that stroke and cardiovascular disease will also increase unless we reduce vascular risk in this group. It was established to improve the effectiveness of clinical care for patients in Scotland by developing, publishing and disseminating evidence-based guidelines which identify and promote good clinical practice and which, if implemented locally, will help to address variations in clinical practice throughout Scotland. Hypertension in Older People' , Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network, 2001. In addition to providing an analysis of the medical evidence on hypertension in older people the guideline also brings together the recommendations of other clinical guidelines on hypertension. However, none of these existing guidelines offer advice on the treatment of hypertension in older people.
Blood pressure is measured using two numbers.
This is the pressure in the arteries when the heart is filled with blood as it relaxes between two beats. In terms of assessing the risk associated with high blood pressure, hypertension is generally defined by three categories - mild, moderate and severe. Following the risk assessment appropriate treatment can then be considered, and applied, by the relevant multi-disciplinary clinical team and the patient.