Author:

Keywords:

Aged, Antihypertensive Agents, Arteriosclerosis, Clinical Trials, Elasticity, Endothelium, Vascular, Humans, Hypertension, Middle Aged, Risk Factors, Systole, Vascular Diseases, Vascular Resistance, Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Peripheral Vascular Disease, Cardiovascular System & Cardiology, BLOOD-PRESSURE-MEASUREMENT, AMBULATORY PULSE PRESSURE, CALCIUM-CHANNEL BLOCKADE, CAROTID-ARTERY STIFFNESS, CORONARY-HEART-DISEASE, OLDER PATIENTS, CARDIOVASCULAR RISK, ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS, RANDOMIZED-TRIAL, EUROPEAN TRIAL, Clinical Trials as Topic, 1103 Clinical Sciences, 1115 Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 3201 Cardiovascular medicine and haematology, 3214 Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences

Abstract:

Hypertension is present in 60% to 70% of the population over 60 years of age and may result in cardiovascular complications such as stroke, coronary heart disease, and heart failure. In this review, the role of arterial stiffness, endothelial function, atherosclerosis, and oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of hypertension is discussed extensively. Antihypertensive drug treatment may control high blood pressure and prevent complications. This review summarizes the results of several placebo-controlled and comparative clinical trials that have studied the efficacy of different classes of antihypertensive drugs.