US Pharm. 2017;42(2):26.
Philadelphia, PA—The American College of Physicians (ACP) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) have released a joint clinical practice guideline on systolic blood pressure targets for adults aged ≥60 years who are otherwise healthy. Traditionally, the threshold for hypertension has been set at 140 mmHg for systolic blood pressure, but the new guideline states that physicians should begin pharmacologic treatment when older patients have persistent systolic blood pressure that is ≥150 mmHg. The evidence suggests that tighter control of blood pressure in healthy older adults may produce more harm than good, resulting in adverse events such as hypotension or fainting, and any additional benefit from more aggressive treatment is small. However, aiming for a lower target is still advisable for patients with a history of cardiovascular disease.
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