Drug treatment of hypertension in older people saves lives and prevents unnecessary morbidity. Treating isolated systolic hypertension also saves lives. There is strong evidence to support the use of diuretics as first-line agents.
Antihypertensive treatments are most cost-effective when targeted at older patients.
There is evidence of under detection and under treatment of hypertension. Factors influencing patient adherence with treatment are not well understood and require further research. Hypertension is widely considered to be one of the most important risk factors for these diseases and is strongly associated with death from stroke, congestive heart failure and coronary heart disease. The high prevalence of the disease and rapidly growing number of older people suggests that hypertension is an enormous public health problem and yet detection and treatment remain relatively low. Reduction in mortality and morbidity of older patients.