MANAGEMENT OF HYPERTENSION IN
ELDERLY PATIENTS
The 2009 ESH/ESC update consider subclinical organ
damage to be a very important component, because asymptomatic
alterations of the cardiovascular system and
the kidneys are important intermediate stages in the disease
continuum that links risk factors such as hypertension
to cardiovascular events and death. Moreover, multiple
organ damage assessment is useful because of the
evidence that in the presence of 2 signs of organ damage
(even when present to the same organ), cardiovascular
risk may be increased, upgrading the patient to the high
cardiovascular risk category[62]. Reassessment of subclinical
organ damage during treatment is also crucial because
it offers information on whether the selected treatment is
protecting patients from progressing organ damage and
potentially from cardiovascular events[62]. Analysis of the
data provided by some prospective studies indicate that
in hypertensive patients, echocardiographic LVH is associated
with an incidence of cardiovascular events equal or
above 20% in 10 years[63,64]. Furthermore, the relationship
of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and plaques
with cardiovascular events, already discussed in the 2009
update, has been further reinforced by the European Lacidipine
Study on Atherosclerosis trial, which have shown
that IMT value at the bifurcations and the common carotid
exerts an adverse prognostic effect in addition to
that of high BP[65]. Finally, renal subclinical organ damage
is associated with a 10-year risk of cardiovascular events
of 20%. In a prospective cohort of Greek hypertensive
patients, a low eGFR was associated with 20% incident
cardiovascular event in 10 years[64].
A reappraisal of trials has underlined that no single trial
on hypertension in the elderly has enrolled patients with
grade 1 hypertension. Although not evidence based, the
2011 ACCF/AHA Expert Consensus Document suggest
to initiate antihypertensive therapy in the elderly according
to the same criteria used for younger adults and to use
almost the same SBP goal as in younger patients[40]. Interestingly,
although in almost all trials the groups of elderly
patients randomized to treatment had lower incidence of
cardiovascular outcomes, in no trial (except JATOS - the
Japanese Trial to Assess Optimal Systolic Blood Pressure
in Elderly Hypertensive Patients - with negative results[66]),
the on-treatment SBP values were lowered to less than
140 mmHg. Thus, there is no randomized trial in support
of lowering SBP to less than 140 mmHg[40].