Managing geriatric hypertension: a brief review.

The possibility of "pseudo hypertension" should be suspected in geriatric patients who, despite high blood pressure measurements, have vessels that feel rigid, have minimal vascular damage in the retina or elsewhere, and who experience inordinate postural dizziness despite cautious therapy. It should be remembered that sluggish baroreceptor function and reduced cardiovascular sensitivity to catecholamines make the elderly more sensitive to natural or drug-induced falls in blood pressure.