Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a common problem for older adults. But what’s the best blood pressure target for these folks?
A new study tried to figure this out and published its findings in the journal Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications.
To do this, the researchers used a special type of analysis called a Bayesian network meta-analysis. They used this method to look at the results of different studies and see if there’s a pattern or trend.
The research team looked at how often certain bad health events happened.
These events included major problems related to the heart and blood vessels (MACE), death from heart problems, death from any cause, heart attack, heart failure, and stroke.
The Study and Its Results
The team looked at a total of six different trials. They then grouped the treatment results from these trials into three groups based on the final systolic blood pressure (SBP) after treatment.
These groups were less than 130 mmHg, between 130 and 139 mmHg, and 140 mmHg or higher. Systolic blood pressure is the first, or top, number in a blood pressure reading.
It measures the pressure in your blood vessels when your heart beats.
What they found was pretty interesting. If the treatment lowered the SBP to less than 130 mmHg, this significantly lowered the chance of major problems related to the heart and blood vessels.
This was compared to treatment that lowered the SBP to 140 mmHg or higher.
However, they didn’t find a significant difference in other comparisons.
They did notice a trend towards more intense blood pressure treatment being better at preventing death from heart problems, death from any cause, heart attack, heart failure, and stroke.
But this trend was not significant, meaning it might have happened by chance.
What Does This Mean for Older Adults?
The results from this study suggest that an SBP of less than 130 mmHg might be the best blood pressure target for people who are 60 years old or older. However, we need more research to confirm these findings.
So if you’re an older adult with high blood pressure, this research might have implications for you.
It suggests that getting your SBP under 130 mmHg could help you avoid major heart and blood vessel problems. However, as always, you should discuss your personal blood pressure goals with your doctor.
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The study was published in Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications.
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