La hipertensión arterial en la población anciana

The prevalence of essential hypertension in the Spanish population aged more than 60 years old is greater than 65%, mainly due to the high prevalence of elevated systolic pressure. Essential hypertension is known to be the most important risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease, which continues to be the leading cause of death among adults in the developed world. Several randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials have demonstrated the beneficial effects of antihypertensive treatment in hypertensive elderly people. However, the management of high blood pressure in the elderly population can be difficult due to a series of factors in this group such as altered pharmacokinetics, comorbidity, and polypharmacy. In addition, although there is recent evidence of the benefit of antihypertensive treatment in the oldest old (> 85 years), comprehensive geriatric assessment and individualized treatment should be applied in daily clinical practice.