A Lower Blood Pressure Is Better, In Older People

As people get older, the advantages of taking more blood pressure medicine must be evaluated against the risks. Years later, the benefit of a decreased risk of experiencing a cardiac event, such as a stroke, heart attack, or heart failure, becomes apparent. On the other side, after increasing medicine dosages for a few weeks, there is a chance of experiencing dizziness, fainting, and falls due to too-low blood pressure.

Researchers compared usual care with more intensive blood pressure control in six previously published clinical trials involving more than 27,000 adults with high blood pressure, aged 60 and older, in order to better understand how long it takes for older people to experience the health benefits of aggressive blood pressure treatment.

The researchers discovered that a significant decrease in the risk of a major cardiovascular event did not occur until 34 months after beginning more severe blood pressure treatment, with a target of systolic blood pressure (the first number in a reading) of less than 140 mm Hg.

While a lower blood pressure is generally healthier, this study recommends that when defining a specific blood pressure goal for an older individual, their prognosis should be taken into account along with other aspects such medicine side effects. JAMA Internal Medicine released the report on May 9, 2022, in an online journal.

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