For this reason, it is important for patients to understand the damaging health repercussions of untreated hypertension. Elderly patients are at even greater risk of hypertension-induced stroke. Whatever your age, your hypertension should be kept under control to prevent serious health complications. Other studies show a similar trend among men. It's particularly important for older people to control their blood pressure, the researchers write.
Hypertension increases the risk of having a stroke, which also increases with age.
Women have lower rates of hypertension than men, but only until age 55. And African Americans are more likely to have high blood pressure than Caucasians. The researchers found that 36 percent of the Caucasian women and 50 percent of the African American women had hypertension. Hypertension is defined as a systolic blood pressure of 140 mm Hg or above, or a diastolic blood pressure of 90 mm Hg or above, or being on medication for high blood pressure. Nearly two-thirds of the hypertensive women took medication for their condition.