Do the mechanisms underlying hypertension in the elderly differ from those in younger adults?
Hypertension is a multifactorial disorder in which the mix of factors operative may vary according to age. Although there are no sharp dividing lines between age groups, age-associated trends can be recognized (Table 1). Recognition of these trends provides a basis for choosing age-specific approaches to clinical management.
Table 1
Table 1
Age-associated trends in clinical hypertension
Sodium sensitivity, defined as the extent of the rise in arterial blood pressure with an increase in sodium chloride intake, is heightened with age.1 In the elderly, limitation of dietary sodium intake and the use of diuretic agents show more effectiveness in controlling hypertension than in the young.2 The factors mediating the enhanced relationship between sodium status and change in blood pressure in the elderly are complex. They include an increased responsiveness of volume homeostasis to the level of salt intake,1 a salt-induced impairment of vascular nitric oxide (NO) production, and an increase in arterial stiffness.3 The systolic component of blood pressure is affected more than the diastolic.1,3
Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) is characterized by systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mm Hg with diastolic blood pressure