The Hypertension in the Very Elderly Trial - latest data.
Early trials in the field of hypertension focused on adults in their fifties and sixties. However, with the passage of time, a progressive effort has been made to expand the evidence base for treatment in older adults. 2008 saw publication of data from the Hypertension in the Very Elderly Trial which demonstrated significant mortality and morbidity benefits from antihypertensive therapy in octogenarians. More recently, additional data from this cohort has been published suggesting that appropriate anti-hypertensive therapy may lead to a reduction in incident cognitive impairment and fractures, whilst a 1 year open label extension of the main study confirmed many of the original trial findings. This review provides an overview of the Hypertension in the Very Elderly Trial whilst also discursively evaluating the latest data.
King's College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London, UK. o.mukhtar@nhs.net
Omar
O
Mukhtar
Stephen H D
SH
Jackson
D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D007190:Indapamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D020913:Perindopril / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D007190:Indapamide; D020913:Perindopril