Annals of Long Term Care

Point: Treating Hypertension in the Elderly

An 83-year-old woman with a prior myocardial infarction (MI) had a blood pressure in the sitting position of 172/90 mm Hg in the right brachial artery and 174/90 mm Hg in the left brachial artery. Her standing blood pressures were similar. Her physician was uncertain whether he should treat her blood pressure because of differing published opinions,1,2 and because of a debate he had heard at a national meeting moderated by the author in which conflicting opinions were expressed.

Should this woman be treated with antihypertensive drug t