Management of hypertension in the very elderly

The prevalence of hypertension in persons aged 80 years or older is about 70%. Recent studies in this population show the benefits of antihypertensive therapy especially for stroke prevention. Accurate determination of blood pressure requires the use of ambulatory measurement methods or self-measurement at home because the frequency of "white coot" hypertension increases with age. It is essential to distinguish patients with sustained hypertension, who need antihypertensive drugs, from those with white coat hypertension, for whom treatment is not justified and may be dangerous because of the risk of hypotension. The objective of antihypertensive treatment is to decrease blood pressure to less than 140/90 mmHg for those aged 60 to 80 years and to decrease systolic pressure to less than 150 mmHg in those older than 80 years, without orthostatic hypotension. Any class of antihypertensive drugs con be used to start treatment although in the absence of specific indications due to concomitant diseases, thiazide diuretics or calcium channel blockers ore preferred for initial treatment. Most often, very elderly hypertensive patients will require two anti-hypertensive drugs for adequate blood pressure control. Generally their regimen should not include more than 3 anti-hypertensive drugs (including a thiazide diuretic).