Objective: The management of high blood pressure after 80 years is an issue in general practice. In 2008, the HYVET study supported the benefit and security of antithypertensive therapy in that population. In a preliminary study, we compared the characteristics of hypertensive patients over 80 years seen in daily practice to those included in the HYVET study: is the HYVET message transferable to daily practice?
Material and method: A transversal study was conducted in 2008. We offered general practitioners working in private practices to collect demographic and clinical characteristics, medical history, dependence level and treatments of hypertensive patients over 80 years seen in consultation or during home visits.
Results: Twelve investigators included 128 patients. Age and sex were close to those in the HYVET study. Contrary to the HYVET study, almost all of our patients (99%) were already treated, out of which approximately 80% received a polytherapy. Moreover, in our population, the prevalence of diabetes was three times higher, and our patients presented history of cardiovascular diseases. Nearly one third were dependent or presented cognitive disorders, which were exclusion criteria in the HYVET study.
Conclusion: These results suggest that antihypertensive treatments are already commonly prescribed in patients over 80 years in general medicine. The marked increase in iatrogenic risk factors in the studied population makes it difficult to apply the conclusions of the HYVET study regarding the safety of antihypertensive treatments. These conclusions remain to be confirmed by a new transversal study developed during the second semester 2010.