Hypertension And Elderly People

The last several decades has seen the introduction of many types of anti-hypertensive drugs. As the pharmaceutical companies have improved them over the years, they have gradually become more sophisticated with much fewer side effects.

There has always been a reluctance to treat hypertension in elderly people even though there is very clear evidence that treating hypertension in people under the age of 65 has huge benefits, especially in the reduction of cardiovascular disease.

The thinking behind much of this underlying principle was that elderly people would be very difficult to treat and that the treatment would do them more harm than good.

However there were several large clinical trials conducted in the early 1990's, which proved that treating hypertension in elderly people was justified especially as a vast reduction in the mortality rate due to cardiovascular disease was proved and five of the trials showed an impressive reduction in the incidence of stroke

In the UK, nearly half of all people over the age of 65 suffer with high blood pressure problems, but unfortunately many are not diagnosed. Of those who are diagnosed with hypertension, many do not receive the appropriate treatment for their medical problem.

As it is estimated that probably up to five million people over the age of 65 are suffering from hypertension (in Britain alone), then this can be considered a demographic time bomb just waiting to explode as there is a very real risk that heart disease and stroke can be developed.

A report which was commissioned by the UK government and written by York University has estimated that about half of the people in the UK who do suffer from high blood pressure do not receive the appropriate medication needed to control their problem. If by some chance they do receive the correct medication, up to 50% do not receive an accurate dosage.

When questioned by the researchers when conducting this study, many doctors stated they did not routinely prescribe antihypertensive drugs as they felt that raised blood pressure was a natural normal part of the aging process. They also felt that because of their age, many elderly people would suffer from adverse side effects from the drugs given to them.

Another reason which some doctors admitted to was the cost implication of prescribing these drugs to their patients. Some anti hypertensive drugs are very expensive, and as General Practioners in the UK hold their own budgets, many of them are loathe to prescribing drugs to a large part of the population that does not pay for their prescription, (because the cost then falls to them).
In their report, York University was able to disprove the myth that elderly people would be more prone to severe side effects, and insisted they would only include the usual ones such as younger adults experienced. These included dizziness, rashes and headaches. If more severe effects such as palpitations, or organ disorders where to occur, then they were no more susceptible than their younger counterparts.




The authors of e-books, newsletters and other site content of highbloodpressureadvisor.com are competent, experienced writers or health care specialists within their own field. They have made every effort to ensure all information produced is correct and up to date at time of writing. Please note no documentation on this site has been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, and no documentation on this site should be used to diagnose,treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Any information given on highbloodpressureadvisor.com is to be used for educational and information purposes only. It should never be substituted for the medical advice from your own doctor or other health care professionals. We do not dispense medical advice, prescribe drugs or diagnose any illnesses with our literature. highbloodpressureadvisor.com.com is not responsible or liable for any self or third party diagnosis made by visitors based on the content of this website. Neither does highbloodpressureadvisor.com in any way endorse any commercial products or services linked from other websites to this website. Please, always consult your doctor or health care specialist if you are in any way concerned about your physical wellbeing.