Response to antihypertensive therapy in older patients with sustained and nonsustained systolic hypertension

Background —The goal of the present study was to assess the effect of antihypertensive therapy on clinic (CBP) and ambulatory (ABP) blood pressures, on ECG voltages, and on the incidence of stroke and cardiovascular events in older patients with sustained and nonsustained systolic hypertension. Methods and Results —Patients who were ≥60 years old, with systolic CBP of 160 to 219 mm Hg and diastolic CBP of P P P =0.01) than other groups. Active treatment reduced ABP and CBP in patients with sustained hypertension but only CBP in patients with nonsustained hypertension ( P P P P =0.06) was more favorable than that of placebo only in patients with moderate sustained hypertension. Conclusions —Patients with sustained hypertension had higher ECG voltages and rates of cardiovascular complications than did patients with nonsustained hypertension. The favorable effects of active treatment on these outcomes were only statistically significant in patients with moderate sustained hypertension.