Table 3.

Key Clinical Points on Hypertension Management in Older Adults

1. As the global population ages, most clinicians will be seeing significantly more older adults with hypertension in their practices.

2. The benefits of intensive antihypertensive therapy outweigh risks in older adults with good cognitive function and absent moderate and severe frailty.

3. Hypertension in older adults is a women's health equity issue as women live longer than men and prevalent hypertension increases more and control falls more with age women.

4. Comprehensive assessment of cognitive and physical function is important in determining treatment intensity in a shared decision in older adults with hypertension. Periodic reassessment thereafter will inform whether changes in treatment intensity are warranted

5. In healthy older adults with hypertension, both sodium reduction and weight reduction are successful lifestyle interventions for improved BP control.

6. The adage "start low and go slow" contributes to clinical inertia in managing BP among older adults. Monthly reviews with treatment intensification if BP remains controlled are appropriate absent mitigating factors such as significant orthostatic hypotension and frailty.

7. Clinicians can play an important role in promoting healthy aging in younger and middle age adults to reduce cardiovascular risk and preserve benefits of intensive treatment at older ages.