Intervention trials in elderly hypertensive patients: a review

Abstract

Results from total and cause-specific mortality from various randomly allocated intervention trials of antihypertensive drug treatment in elderly hypertensives have been reviewed, compared and pooled. Mortality from all causes tended to decrease in all trials, but this decrease was not statistically significant in any of the trials separately, nor when all results were pooled. When the results of all the trials were combined, there was a significant overall decrease in cardiovascular mortality of 28%. This decrease was mainly related to a significant reduction in cerebrovascular mortality of 41%. Mortality from ischaemic heart disease also tended to decrease by 28%, but statistical significance was not reached.