Elderly Can Benefit From High Blood Pressure Treatment

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In addition, there was a 23 percent drop in the rate of death from cardiovascular disease, and a 64 percent reduction in the rate of heart failure among patients receiving a diuretic, compared with those receiving a placebo. There were also fewer adverse events among people on the blood pressure medication, and a 21 percent drop in the rate of death from all causes, according to the study.

"In the elderly, acts of omission are tolerated much more than acts of commission," Krumholz said. "Somehow we are much more comfortable with neglecting something and saying, 'This is just nature taking its course,' than saying, 'We may have an opportunity to make a difference here,' " he said.

Studies like this reassure doctors that treating the elderly can be beneficial, he added.

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Krumholz emphasized that the treatment given to the patients in the study cannot be generalized to include other medication regimens. "It may be true that certain medication regimens are better than others. If we want to use other regimens than we must study them," he said.

Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, a professor of cardiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, agreed that the new study should encourage doctors to treat elderly patients with high blood pressure more aggressively.

"This study convincingly demonstrates that the benefits of treating high blood pressure in patients age 80 and above greatly outweighs the risks," he said.

More information

Learn more about high blood pressure from the American Heart Association.

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