Systolic and pulse hypertension

Abstract

Epidemiology, genetic analysis and clinical studies are of help in understanding how, to what extent and why systolic blood pressure increases with age (at least in Western societies), while diastolic blood pressure increases only until the age of 60–65 years. Systolic blood pressure is a predictor of outcome in humans, but pulse pressure (systolic minus diastolic) is a better predictor, particularly in the elderly. Although the cardiovascular risk pattern is different in older patients, antihypertensive treatment remains useful in the elderly and even in the very old. Nevertheless, excessive reduction of diastolic blood pressure should be avoided in order to prevent increasing pulse pressure. Although all therapeutic regimens tend to reduce systolic more than diastolic blood pressure (reducing pulse pressure), the need for antihypertensive drugs acting selectively on systolic values remains very strong.