2022, Supplement 3
Cardiovasc Metab Sci 2022; 33 (S3)
Management of high blood pressure in older-adults: aging, senescence and ageism
Alcocer, Luis
ABSTRACT
The gradual increase of blood pressure related to aging is a consenting phenomenon. Furthermore, the onset of high blood pressure (HBP) becomes an important health concern for older adults given the diverse challenges in treatment and management. Effective treatment could substantially impact quality of life. In this review, we describe the pathophysiologic pathways in which blood pressure could be influenced by aging processes, how we could better characterize the disease and how to give an initial approach in management within older adults. Giving an appropriate antihypertensive treatment must be focused on lowering mmHg as its advantageous properties are similar across all ages; however, in absolute terms, the acquired benefits are greater in older individuals than in young people. Current data suggests that antihypertensive medication should not be rejected, altered, or terminated only because of advanced age. While this may appear reasonable, ageism is an important social determinant to initiate antihypertensive, since it restricts its access solely because of advanced age. Clinical efforts should be performed to optimize strategies to improve blood pressure in older adults.