[Hypertension in the elderly: What we need to know]

More than two thirds of people over 65 are hypertensive. Along with the high prevalence, hypertension is associated by comorbidities that originates a heterogeneous elderly population in relation to their autonomy and functional capacity. At this age, hypertension has special characteristics that make its management difficult, highlighting by isolated systolic hypertension due to the vascular stiffness typical of aging. Although decision-making is based on the clinical measurement of blood pressure, it is known that in the elderly pressure is subject to numerous influences: temporal (absence of night dipping), of the environment (exacerbation of the white coat phenomenon) and of the position (orthostatic hypotension). These circumstances must be taken into account when evaluating and deciding on therapy. At this age, there is sufficient evidence that treatment reduces both cardiovascular morbimortality and all-cause mortality.