title: Systolic hypertension in elderly patients.
abstract: Pulsatile arterial hemodynamics in cardiovascular diseases indicate that the aortic blood pressure curve may be represented by 2 different phenotypes: one in patients 64 years old and younger and the other in subjects older than 65 years. The 2 blood pressure curves may have exactly the same mean arterial pressure (ie, the same cross-sectional area under the curve) but quite different shapes. In older subjects, systolic blood pressure and pulse pressure are higher, whereas diastolic blood pressure is lower than in younger subjects.
authors.affiliation: Diagnosis Center, Hôpital Hôtel-Dieu, Paris, France. michel.safar@htd.ap-hop-paris.fr
authors.forename: Michel E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Safar
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001158:Arteries / Q000503:physiopathology; D004232:Diuretics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009566:Nitrates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013599:Systole
chemical_list: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D004232:Diuretics; D009566:Nitrates