Systolic blood pressure: it's time to take control (original) (raw)

2004, American journal of hypertension

Once considered an inconsequential part of the aging process, an age-associated rise in systolic blood pressure (SBP) occurs as a consequence of increased arterial stiffness and contributes to a high prevalence of systolic hypertension after middle-age. Elevated SBP imparts a predilection toward the onset of vascular events, highlighting the importance of its control. Current philosophy ranks systolic pressure as the most relevant component of blood pressure (BP) for determining risk for cardiovascular and other events in hypertensive patients, particularly those >50 years of age. Despite its prognostic role, SBP remains more difficult to control than diastolic BP (DBP), and most middle-age and older hypertensive patients fail to achieve recommended targets. In part, the lack of strict control of SBP in the more aged population lies in the physiology of hypertension. Younger persons tend toward isolated diastolic hypertension or combined systolic-diastolic hypertension, primarily...