Somewhat unexpectedly, a new study has found that hypertension drugs dramatically lower overall mortality in the elderly. Previously, it was thought that while treating hypertension had clear benefits, such as a reduction in the risk for stroke, it may actually increase the risk of death due to other problems.

The new research presented at a Chicago meeting of the American College of Cardiology and the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions has invalidated this opinion. Instead, it appears that well-tolerated drugs have almost only benefits in senior patients.

"Hopefully, we have quashed the idea that this is a balance between risk and benefits -- it is all benefits," said epidemiologist Nigel S. Beckett of Imperial College London, the lead author of the report, as quoted by LA Times.
"This was unexpected," he said.

The study, which looked at patients over 80, was also published online by the New England Journal of Medicine.

The researchers also pushed for combining two drugs into a single pill. Although combined pills have been used before, such as a daily pill containing benazepril and a calcium channel blocker, amlodipine, the new study looked at the effects of a pill which contained a newer drug instead of amlodipine: the ACE inhibitor benazepril. There are other angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors which can probably be used, such as ramipril (Altace/Tritace/Ramace).

The problem was and still is that many doctors tend to neglect very old pantients because they think treatment will not be as effective. The new study dispels this opinion and shows the treatment of high blood pressure in people over 80 has serious wide-ranging benefits.

"Somehow we are much more comfortable with neglecting something and saying, 'This is just nature taking its course,' than saying, 'We may have an opportunity to make a difference here,'" Dr. Harlan M. Krumholz, a professor of medicine at Yale University School of Medicine, said to The Washington Post.