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Blood Pressure
Blood Pressure Treatment Inadequate for Older Adults
Far too many people 80 and older have high blood pressure, get poor treatment and needlessly suffer such deadly consequences as heart attacks and strokes, according to a study. The research involved 2,317 men and 2,979 women in the Framingham Heart Study, an analysis of heart disease in residents of a Massachusetts community. The study began 54 years ago.
Nearly two-thirds of the participants age 80 and older had high blood pressure, yet just 38 percent of men and 23 percent of women were treated sufficiently to regulate their blood pressure to a target level of 140/90 or below.
Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, M.D., Sc.M., from the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, and colleagues from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Framingham Heart Study, Framingham, Mass., analyzed data collected between January 1, 1990 and December 31, 1999 from that community-based cohort study to determine the current prevalence, patterns, treatment, control, and risks of hypertension in persons aged 80 years or older compared with younger individuals. There were 5,296 participants (2,317 men and 2,979 women) who were categorized by age: younger than 60 years, 60 to 79 years, or 80 years or older.
Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 140 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury) or diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 90 mm Hg. Current national guidelines define normal blood pressure as systolic blood pressure 120 or less and diastolic blood pressure of 80 or less mm Hg. Patients were followed for up to 6 years for development of cardiovascular disease events.
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