Essential hypertension (hypertensive disease) in the elderly: Prevalence, clinical value, and drug therapy

Prevalence of hypertension increases with increasing age. Elevated blood pr essure is found in more than 50% of subjects aged older than 60-65 years. M ost prevalent form (up to 70%) of hypertension in the elderly - isolated sy stolic hypertension caused by decreased elasticity of aorta and its main br anches. Hypertension in these patients appears to be most important of pote ntially modifiable cardiovascular risk factors. Approaches to drug therapy in the elderly differ substantially from those in younger patients, Not all groups of antihypertensive drugs are equally suitable for the treatment of old patients especially for monotherapy. Some are not recommended because of insufficient efficacy, other -because of bad tolerability, Thiazide and thiazide-like diuretics and dihydropyridine calcium antagonists are the fir st line drugs for initial therapy of hypertension in the elderly patients.