title: Now or never: optimal antihypertensive therapy in the elderly.
abstract: Hypertension control rates in the elderly, particularly for systolic hypertension, are poor and lower than control rates in other age groups. Older patients often require treatment with specific antihypertensive drugs because of concomitant conditions and usually need > or =2 drugs to control blood pressure. Combining drugs with complementary mechanisms of action may improve both blood pressure control and the tolerability of individual drugs. A number of fixed-dose combinations have shown efficacy in older patients and in stage 2 hypertension, including various combinations involving diuretics and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hypertension and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, 30912, USA. mprisant@mcg.edu
authors.forename: L Michael
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Prisant
mesh_terms: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects*; D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D004232:Diuretics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D018570:Risk Assessment; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D047228:Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D004232:Diuretics