Changes of psychological state in elderly hypertensives with antihypertensive therapy

The aim of this investigation was to assess if the anxiety levels and the s ymptoms of depression in elderly subjects with hypertension might improve a fter antihypertensive therapy. Thirteen elderly subjects with mild systo-di astolic hypertension received a Fosinopril treatment of 20 mg/day for 12 mo nths. Before and after this treatment they underwent the following tests: s tate test anxiety inventory (STAI), geriatric depression scale (GDS), and 2 4-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) to assess real pressure values. ABPM data reaffirmed the high values of blood pressure in the elder ly hyper-tensives identified by using clinical measurements and the fall in blood pressure after therapy. Our study did not reveal any significant dif ference in the anxiety levels after Fosinopril treatment, but the symptoms of depression significantly improved (p < 0.01) after this therapy. This co uld lead to a reduction of the higher risk of stroke associated with depres sion in elderly hypertensives and even to a better quality of life.