High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is one of the most common health problems affecting older adults.
It happens when the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries stays too high for a long period of time.
Many people do not notice any symptoms, which is why high blood pressure is often called a silent killer. Even though it may not cause problems right away, untreated high blood pressure can slowly damage blood vessels and important organs throughout the body.
Over time, high blood pressure greatly increases the risk of serious health conditions. It can lead to heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, kidney disease, and even problems with memory and thinking. Because of these risks, doctors consider controlling blood pressure one of the most important ways to help people live longer and healthier lives.
A new study suggests that many older Americans are not receiving the blood pressure treatment they need. The researchers found that fewer than 30 percent of older adults who should have received stronger treatment for their high blood pressure actually got it.
This finding is concerning because proper treatment could prevent many dangerous health events.
Blood pressure is measured using two numbers. The first number is called systolic blood pressure. It measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats and pumps blood. The second number is called diastolic blood pressure. It measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart relaxes between beats.
In recent years, medical experts lowered the definition of high blood pressure. According to current guidelines, a blood pressure reading of 130 over 80 millimeters of mercury, written as 130/80 mmHg, or higher is considered high blood pressure.
This change means that more people are now considered to have hypertension and may need treatment or closer monitoring.
To understand how high blood pressure is being treated in older adults, researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center studied health records from people aged 60 years and older. They examined ten years of data collected between 2008 and 2018.
The researchers focused on patients who regularly visited their doctors and still had blood pressure readings that remained too high.
The scientists wanted to know how often doctors strengthened treatment when a patient’s blood pressure was not under control. This process is called antihypertensive intensification. It simply means increasing the dose of an existing blood pressure medicine or adding another medication to help lower blood pressure.
During the study period, the researchers identified more than 7,400 medical visits where treatment should probably have been adjusted. When these findings were projected across the country, they represented about 293 million doctor visits in the United States.
However, in most of these visits, no changes were made to the patient’s blood pressure treatment. Overall, only 27.5 percent of patients received stronger treatment. The numbers were even lower among people who were already taking blood pressure medicines. In this group, only 15.3 percent had their medications adjusted.
Perhaps even more surprising was the finding that treatment rates became worse over the ten-year study period. This happened despite updated medical guidelines that encouraged doctors to achieve better blood pressure control.
The researchers believe there may be several reasons for this problem. Doctors often worry that stronger blood pressure treatment could cause side effects in older adults.
Lowering blood pressure too much may increase the risk of dizziness, weakness, or falls. Falls can be especially dangerous for seniors because they may result in broken bones, hospitalization, or a loss of independence.
Patients may also hesitate to add more medicines. Many older adults already take several medications each day and may worry about additional side effects or the burden of taking more pills.
Another challenge is the limited time doctors have during appointments. Many medical visits last only about 15 minutes. During that short period, doctors must address multiple health concerns, review medications, answer questions, and discuss treatment plans. As a result, changing blood pressure medicines may sometimes be delayed or overlooked.
The researchers say new approaches are needed to improve blood pressure management in older adults. One possible solution is to improve electronic medical records so they automatically remind doctors when a patient’s blood pressure remains too high.
These reminders could encourage doctors to review treatment options and make medication changes before the patient leaves the clinic.
Lead author Dr. Nicholas Chiu said that improving blood pressure treatment for older adults could prevent many cases of heart disease and stroke. Better blood pressure control could also reduce hospital admissions, improve quality of life, and help many seniors remain healthier and more independent for longer.
The study was published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension. The findings show that although effective treatments for high blood pressure already exist, they can only protect people if they are used appropriately. Helping more older adults receive the treatment they need could have a major impact on public health and save many lives.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and natural coconut sugar could help reduce blood pressure and artery stiffness.
For more information about blood pressure, please see recent studies about How to eat your way to healthy blood pressure and results showing that Modified traditional Chinese cuisine can lower blood pressure.
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