[Intervention trials for elderly hypertension in Western countries]

Nihon Rinsho. 2005 Jun;63(6):1071-7.
[Article in Japanese]

Abstract

Many large-scale intervention trials performed in Western countries have proven the necessity of treatment of hypertension in the elderly, including isolated systolic hypertension. However, it is still unclear the benefit of antihypertensive treatment in mild hypertensive patients and that in very elderly patients with hypertension. An ongoing clinical trial, the Hypertension in the Very Elderly Trial (HYVET), may clarify whether or not antihypertensive treatment is beneficial in the very elderly. Regarding target blood pressure, there is no clinical study in which average of systolic blood pressure at the end of study decreased lower than 140 mmHg. Regarding the first-line drugs for elderly hypertension, usefulness of diuretics and calcium channel blockers has been demonstrated in studies with placebo control group. Usefulness of inhibitors of the rennin-angiotensin system has been also reported in LIFE substudy and ANBP2. It is still required to perform large scale trials in the elderly hypertension to answer these undissolved problems.

Publication types

  • English Abstract
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers / therapeutic use
  • Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Antihypertensive Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Blood Pressure
  • Calcium Channel Blockers / therapeutic use
  • Clinical Trials as Topic*
  • Diuretics / therapeutic use
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Europe
  • Humans
  • Hypertension / drug therapy*
  • Hypertension / physiopathology
  • Meta-Analysis as Topic
  • Severity of Illness Index

Substances

  • Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers
  • Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Antihypertensive Agents
  • Calcium Channel Blockers
  • Diuretics