United States: Research shows that elderly people obtain the same advantages from medication-controlled blood pressure management as younger individuals do.
Key Findings: Lower BP, Lower Risk
Research from the Journal of the American College of Cardiology revealed that maintaining under-130 systolic blood pressure reduces heart-related death risk by 26% for individuals aged 80 and above, as reported by HealthDay.
Dr. Yuan Lu from Yale School of Medicine who conducted the study as its senior researcher stated in an ACC podcast about the results that patients with blood pressure levels below 130 exhibited reduced mortality risks from heart disease and strokes. Subjects with blood pressure exceeding 145 demonstrated increased probability of dying from heart diseases.
Understanding the Blood Pressure Guidelines
In 2017 the heart health organizations leading the nation adopted tighter blood pressure regulations which defined 130 systolic as the threshold that established high blood pressure diagnosis. During heartbeats blood vessels maintain pressure which medical professionals name as systolic blood pressure.
Before 2017 the blood pressure thresholds stood at 140 systolic for individuals under 65 years old and 150 systolic for people aged 65 years and above.
However, “the evidence regarding optimal blood pressure targets for adults aged greater than 80 years remains limited and inconsistent across various guidelines,” researchers said in their new paper.
According to background notes, this is because large blood pressure studies have either failed to conduct adequate follow-up or have excluded participants who are 80 years of age or older.
“The key question is, should blood pressure be lowered aggressively, or is more moderate approach safer?” Lu said. “Some studies suggest that lowering blood pressure too much might actually be harmful in older adults.”
The research team stated this topic has significance because heart disease impacts more than 85% of individuals who survive to age eighty.
Analyzing Long-Term BP Management
A study team examined treatment history for 1,600 users of blood pressure medications who reached age 80 between 1988 and 2014 using medical records and tracked their mortalities to 2019.
Studies revealed heart disease as the leading cause of death that occurred in this specific group of elderly patients at a rate of 46%.
The research demonstrates that maintaining blood pressure at less than 130 millimeters of mercury statistically reduces cardiac mortality risks, as reported by HealthDay.
What This Means for You
“Our study suggests that treating high blood pressure aggressively in adults 80 and above may be beneficial, as a systolic blood pressure below 130 is associated with lower cardiovascular risk,” Lu said.
“However, we must know that treatment decisions should still be personalized for frail individuals and those with multiple health conditions,” she concluded. “A slightly higher blood pressure target may be safer.”