New findings on blood pressure in old age

So far, doctors have assumed that it is for older people to be healthier, if your blood pressure is set to below 140/90 mmHg. Researchers have now found that this assumption is valid for all hypertensive patients. On the contrary, In the case of people who are older than 80 years or who had already had a stroke or a heart attack, increases the risk of death even.

According to the European guidelines, the blood pressure in over 65 should be set to-Year-olds to below 140/90 mmHg, in order to protect you against cardiovascular diseases. These target values are valid also for the over-80-Year-old, to consider diseases with them, however, more and more individual factors such as accompanying.

In an observational study, researchers were able to show the end of the Charité, now that the drug lowering blood pressure to below 140/90 mmHg – and, in particular, under 130/90 mmHg – generally has a protective effect. The analysis is based on epidemiological data from more than 1,600 women and men that were at the beginning of the study in the year 2009 at least 70 years old and taking blood pressure-lowering treatment.

As the scientists discovered, had in the over 80-Year-olds, those whose blood pressure at below 140/90 mmHg, a 40 percent higher risk of death than those whose blood pressure more than 140/90 mmHg. A similar observation, the research group made with the participants of the study who had suffered in the past, a stroke or heart attack: In the case of those whose blood pressure at below 140/90 mmHg increased the mortality risk by 61 percent compared to those whose blood pressure remained despite the medical treatment above this limit value.

The scientists conclude, therefore, that the treatment of increased blood pressure should be adjusted for these patient groups individually. You should of agreement, the recommendations of the professional societies to apply a flat rate in all groups of patients.

Collected the epidemiological data in the context of the “Berlin Initiative study, in which study participants are interviewed every two years to their diseases and medications, measure blood pressure and kidney function and analysed blood and urine. After six years, the scientists investigated with statistical methods, the extent to which the to the beginning of the measured blood pressure with death. Also the influence of factors such as gender, Body Mass Index, Smoking status, alcohol consumption, Diabetes, and the number of antihypertensive agents were taken into account.
The study is available here.