[Target blood pressure values in hypertension treatment; how low is optimal?].

A relationship between blood pressure level and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality can be demonstrated by way of a J-curve. The curve's lowest point, the optimal blood pressure, does not appear to be the same for all patients. The target blood pressure values found in guidelines are partly based on randomised interventional studies in which different target values have been compared. The general advised target blood pressure is < 140/90 mmHg for patients with cardiovascular disease or chronic kidney disease. For patients with diabetes mellitus the target blood pressure is < 140/85 mmHg. It has been proven that blood pressure-lowering agents are effective for patients above 80 years who are hypertensive; the target values in these patients are SBP: 140-150 mmHg and DBP: 70-80 mmHg.Lowering the blood pressure in the fragile elderly should be carried out with caution. In patients with coronary heart disease or diabetes mellitus, the optimal blood pressure for preventing a stroke could be lower than for preventing a myocardial infarction.