Higher BP better for survival in some over-70s
High blood pressure may be needed to provide adequate organ perfusion in some older patients, authors suggest
Keeping blood pressure above 140/90mmHg while on antihypertensive treatment may be advisable for people in their 80s and even for some in their 70s, a study suggests.
In an observational study of more than 1600 people older than 70 taking antihypertensives, death rates from any cause were 26% higher among those who had BP <140/90mmHg at baseline, the German researchers found.
Further analysis showed the effect was significant in people in their 80s, but not for most people in their 70s.
Octagenarians with BP of <140/90mmHg had a 40% higher risk of death from any cause than their peers with higher BP, the authors wrote in the European Heart Journal.
