[Diagnosis and treatment of arterial hypertension in the elderly].

The incidence of hypertension increases with age and becomes very high in the seventh decade. The increase of the blood pressure may be systolic, diastolic or both. Various controlled studies have shown that the treatment of hypertension in the elderly reduces the incidence of myocardial infarction and of stroke. It appears today that also patients with isolated systolic hypertension benefit from antihypertensive treatment. All classes of antihypertensive agents, including beta-blocking drugs, may be used in the elderly.