PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - R. A. Reeves
AU  - J. G. Fodor
AU  - C. I. Gryfe
AU  - C. Patterson
AU  - J. D. Spence
TI  - Report of the Canadian Hypertension Society Consensus Conference: 4. Hypertension in the elderly
DP  - 1993 Sep 15
TA  - Canadian Medical Association Journal
PG  - 815--820
VI  - 149
IP  - 6
4099  - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/149/6/815.short
4100  - http://www.cmaj.ca/content/149/6/815.full
SO  - CMAJ1993 Sep 15; 149
AB  - Several knowledge gaps, which made evidence-based guidelines impossible in 1985, have since been filled. There is now unequivocal evidence that treatment of isolated systolic hypertension benefits elderly patients, as does treatment beyond the age of 75 years. Pseudohypertension, although occasionally problematic, is not common and is not a reason to neglect the treatment of elderly patients, including those with isolated systolic hypertension. In general, long-term antihypertensive treatment of the elderly is well tolerated and does not cause important decreases in mental function. Comparative drug studies continue to accumulate; most show no clinically significant general differences between drugs, aside from the somewhat decreased efficacy and tolerability of beta-blockade in elderly patients. As in the young, certain drugs may be preferred in the presence of other conditions--e.g., congestive heart failure or diabetes.