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The Pharmacological Treatment of Arterial Hypertension in Frail, Older Patients—a Systematic Review

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:It is debated whether the treatment goals and decision-making algorithms for elderly patients with hypertension should be the same as those for younger patients. The American and European guidelines leave decisions about antihypertensive treatment in frail, institutionalized patients up to the treating physician. We therefore systematically searched the literature for publications on the phamacotherapy of arterial hypertension in frail patients. METHODS:The MEDLINE, Embase, and Central databases were systematically searched for randomized, controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized studies, including observational studies, on the pharmacotherapy of arterial hypertension in elderly patients since the introduction of the concept of frailty, published over the period 1992-2017. RESULTS:Out of 19 282 citations for randomized, controlled trials and 5659 for non-randomized trials and observational studies, four RCTs and three observational studies were included in the further analysis. The included RCTs showed a trend to- wards a benefit from pharmacotherapy of hypertension in frail patients with respect to mortality, cardiovascular disease, functional status, and quality of life. On the other hand, some of the observational studies indicated a lower rate of falls and lower mortality among patients who received no antihypertensive treatment. CONCLUSION:In view of the conflicting findings of RCTs and non-randomized studies, the lower representation of frail subjects in RCTs, and the high risk of bias in non- randomized studies, the findings of the studies included in this review do not enable the formulation of any strictly evidence-based treatment recommendations. As a rule of thumb, the authors propose that a target systolic blood pressure of <150 mmHg should be aimed at in patients whose gait speed is less than 0.8 m/s, while a target range of 130-139 mmHg can be set for patients over age 80 who are no more than mildly frail.

SUBMITTER: Muhlbauer V

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6401515 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundLate-life depression is most often treated in primary care, and it usually coincides with chronic somatic diseases. Given that antidepressants contribute to polypharmacy in these patients, and potentially to interactions with other drugs, non-pharmacological treatments are essential. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to present an overview of the non-pharmacological treatments available in primary care for late-life depression.MethodThe databases of PubMed, PsychINFO, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were systematically searched in January 2017 with combinations of MeSH-terms and free text words for "general practice," "older adults," "depression," and "non-pharmacological treatment". All studies with empirical data concerning adults aged 60 years or older were included, and the results were stratified by primary care, and community setting. We narratively reviewed the results and performed a meta-analysis on cognitive behavioral therapy in the primary care setting.ResultsWe included 11 studies conducted in primary care, which covered the following five treatment modalities: cognitive behavioral therapy, exercise, problem-solving therapy, behavioral activation, and bright-light therapy. Overall, the meta-analysis showed a small effect for cognitive behavioral therapy, with one study also showing that bright-light therapy was effective. Another 18 studies, which evaluated potential non-pharmacological interventions in the community suitable for implementation, indicated that bibliotherapy, life-review, problem-solving therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy were effective at short-term follow-up.DiscussionWe conclude that the effects of several treatments are promising, but need to be replicated before they can be implemented more widely in primary care. Although more treatment modalities were effective in a community setting, more research is needed to investigate whether these treatments are also applicable in primary care.Trial registrationPROSPERO CRD42016038442.

Project description:In patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing dialysis, hypertension is common but often inadequately controlled. The prevalence of hypertension varies widely among studies because of differences in the definition of hypertension and the methods of used to measure blood pressure (BP), i.e., peri-dialysis or ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM). Recently, ABPM has become the gold standard for diagnosing hypertension in dialysis patients. Home BP monitoring can also be a good alternative to ABPM, emphasizing BP measurement outside the hemodialysis (HD) unit. One thing for sure is pre- and post-dialysis BP measurements should not be used alone to diagnose and manage hypertension in dialysis patients. The exact target of BP and the relationship between BP and all-cause mortality or cause-specific mortality are unclear in this population. Many observational studies with HD cohorts have almost universally reported a U-shaped or even an L-shaped association between BP and all-cause mortality, but most of these data are based on the BP measured in HD units. Some data with ABPM have shown a linear association between BP and mortality even in HD patients, similar to the general population. Supporting this, the results of meta-analysis have shown a clear benefit of BP reduction in HD patients. Therefore, further research is needed to determine the optimal target BP in the dialysis population, and for now, an individualized approach is appropriate, with particular emphasis on avoiding excessively low BP. Maintaining euvolemia is of paramount importance for BP control in dialysis patients. Patient heterogeneity and the lack of comparative evidence preclude the recommendation of one class of medication over another for all patients. Recently, however, β-blockers could be considered as a first-line therapy in dialysis patients, as they can reduce sympathetic overactivity and left ventricular hypertrophy, which contribute to the high incidence of arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Several studies with mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists have also reported promising results in reducing mortality in dialysis patients. However, safety issues such as hyperkalemia or hypotension should be further evaluated before their use.

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The Pharmacological Treatment of Arterial Hypertension in Frail, Older Patients—a Systematic Review

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