This research in itself will not change practice. However, there are no clear targets for the blood pressure management in frail older people. These findings are in line with the most recent 2019 NICE guidelines which recommend a higher blood pressure target, of 150mmHg, in people aged 80 years or more. The researchers found that lower than normal blood pressures were associated with a higher death rate among older people, particularly those over the age of 85 or those who were very frail. The medical records of more than 400,000 patients in primary care were reviewed. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and reviewer(s) at the time of publication.įrail older people may not benefit from the same tight blood pressure control that has been shown to benefit relatively younger, healthier groups in existing trials. This is a plain English summary of an original research article.
