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Hypertension is a very common condition, affecting about half of all adults in the U.S. But it doesn’t always have symptoms, so about one in three people don’t know they have it.
For most people, recommendations are to reduce blood pressure to less than or equal to somewhere between 140/90 mmHg and 160/100 mmHg. [2] In general, for people with elevated blood pressure, attempting to achieve lower levels of blood pressure than the recommended 140/90 mmHg will create more harm than benefits, [3] in particular for older people. [4]
In medicine, systolic hypertension is defined as an elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP). [1] If the systolic blood pressure is elevated (>140) with a normal (<90) diastolic blood pressure (DBP), it is called isolated systolic hypertension. [2] Eighty percent of people with systolic hypertension are over the age of 65 years old. [3]
Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a long-term medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated. [11] High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms itself. [ 5 ]
In the United States, nearly half of American adults have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, which is generally defined as blood pressure at or above 130/80 mmHg.
Fluctuating blood pressure in older men — particularly older Black men — is tied to a heightened risk of cognitive decline. Image credit: MoMo Productions/Getty Images.
Consequently, in many older people, systolic blood pressure often exceeds the normal adult range, [33] if the diastolic pressure is in the normal range this is termed isolated systolic hypertension. The rise in pulse pressure with age is attributed to increased stiffness of the arteries . [ 34 ]
Antihypertensive therapy seeks to prevent the complications of high blood pressure, such as stroke, heart failure, kidney failure and myocardial infarction. Evidence suggests that a reduction of blood pressure by 5 mmHg can decrease the risk of stroke by 34% and of ischaemic heart disease by 21%.