Treatment of hypertension in the elderly.

Treatment of hypertension in the elderly is beneficial, and benefit exceeds risk, but in some individuals it may be difficult to decrease blood pressure to goal or normotensive levels. Recent data suggest that the use of diuretics and, in some instances, beta-adrenergic inhibitors will reduce morbidity and mortality in elderly hypertensives and will probably not alter metabolic parameters to a clinically significant degree in most individuals.