Drug Therapy of Hypertension in Old Age

Abstract

Drug therapy of hypertension in elderly patients should be conservative and designed to moderate the diastolic pressure gradually, not to normalize it suddenly. Rauwolfia, Veratrum, chlorothiazide and, occasionally, hydralazine may be given cautiously, alone or in combination. Before using drugs to treat hypertension the physician should ask himself whether his objective is to make the patient's life more productive and enjoyable or merely to lower the blood pressure.