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Article: Hypertension treatment in the elderly needs careful scrutiny: octogenarians may be healthier if their systolic blood pressure is around 140 mm hg, if they do not suffer from heart failure or coronary artery disease.(TREATMENT)
- Article from:
- Heart Advisor
- Article date:
- June 1, 2009
- Author:
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Hypertension affects an estimated 75 percent of individuals age 60 and older. The elderly represent the fastest growing segment of society with isolated systolic hypertension--that is a systolic (top number) reading of more than 140 mm Hg and a diastolic (lower number) reading of less than 90 mm Hg.
It's the most common form of hypertension and a strong predictor of cardiovascular disease risk in the elderly.
Treatment recommendations have emphasized that systolic blood pressure should be the primary target in managing hypertension among elderly patients, and treatment guidelines have recommended that the goal for therapy should be systolic blood ...