Managing hypertension in chronic renal disease.

Hypertension is very common in the elderly patient with renal insufficiency and may be primary or secondary to the kidney disease. In these patients, hypertension is usually associated with an increase in peripheral vascular resistance and salt sensitivity (the latter related to the degree of renal failure.) Therapy should be tailored to the individual patient, particularly when the elevated blood pressure and renal insufficiency are associated with other significant medical problems. Most of the drugs used in younger hypertensives may be used in the elderly patient with renal insufficiency, but in general, starting and maintenance doses should be lower because of the greater sensitivity due to age and/or the renal failure. The goal in the elderly hypertensive patient with renal failure is similar to that in other hypertensive patients: blood pressure should be brought to 140/90 mm Hg or lower. In the elderly patient with resistant hypertension or who manifests a decrease in kidney function as blood pressure is lowered, an effort must be made to look for associated renovascular disease.