Managing blood pressure in older adults: Age alone is no barrier to treatment

In a recent paper in The BMJ, Liv and colleagues reported the results of a large cohort study investigating the link between blood pressure and mortality in community dwelling Chinese people with a mean age of 92 years.1 Studies of very elderly people are challenging and rarely performed so these data are of particular interest. Both high and low systolic blood pressure were linked to an increase in mortality (a “U shaped curve” relation). Systolic blood pressure >154 mm Hg was associated with increased cardiovascular mortality, and <107 mm Hg with non-cardiovascular death.