Prognosis of treated hypertension 1951-1981.

1 The 5 year survival of hypertensive patients in several studies was reviewed to demonstrate the adverse effects of increasing age, being male, having a higher untreated blood pressure of severe retinal changes. 2 The decrease in survival with increase in diastolic blood pressure was not linear, mortality being relatively constant below 90 mmHg. 3 The adverse effect of severe retinal changes was independent of the untreated blood pressure. 4 In patients selected with mild hypertension, 5 year survival can exceed 97% even when untreated. 5 Owing to the lack of suitable data we cannot conclude that treatment was more effective in prolonging life in the 1970s than in previous decades. 6 In the United States non-white patients with hypertension fared worse than white patients. 7 The serum cholesterol was not positively related to mortality in treated hypertension patients. 8 Treated hypertensive patients who smoked had at least a two-fold increase in mortality over those who did not. 9 Treated patients under the age of 50 years had a four-fold increase in mortality compared with the general population. This was greater than any excess mortality observed in the elderly.