[[Hypertension treatment of elderly men in Iceland].

Until recently neither the extent of antihypertensive drug usage in Iceland nor its distribution among drug classes was known. Of the 1,145 men aged 70-84 years alive in 1991, 834 participated in a study carried out by Hjartnavernd, the Heart Association. A history of hypertension or the presence of high blood pressure when measured at the Associations institute were found in 429 men, of whom 157 were on medication for hypertension alone: 95 on single drug treatment, 49 on two drugs, and five on three drugs, no information being available for the remaining eight. The most widely used drugs were diuretics or beta-blockers, of which diuretics apparently yielded better results. Of combined regiments, that of beta-blockers and diuretics was by far the most common, followed by ACE- (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors and diuretics, and beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers. Thus, both medical and economic factors suggest that diuretics should be used in this age group.