Carry on treating high blood pressure - even in old age

According to a study published recently in The British Medical Journal, reductions in blood pressure produces benefits in those who are younger than 65 and in those who are older than 65, with no strong evidence that protection against vascular events given by different drugs varies substantially with age.

These are the conclusions of the Blood Pressure Lowering Treatment Trialist's Collaboration. This meta-analysis of 31 clinical trials, with 190 606 participants showed no clear difference between the different age groups in lowering blood pressure and no clear difference between the effects of drug classes on major cardiovascular events.