What is the blood pressure goal for the general population aged 60 years or older?

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Multiple Choice

What is the blood pressure goal for the general population aged 60 years or older?

For older adults, the aim is to reduce cardiovascular risk while avoiding the harms that can come with too-aggressive treatment. A blood pressure target of less than 140/90 is commonly used for the general population aged 60 and older because it provides meaningful risk reduction for stroke and heart disease without imposing excessive medication burden or increasing the risk of adverse effects like orthostatic dizziness. A target higher than this (for example, 150/90) would miss opportunities to lower risk, while targets lower than this (such as 140/80 or 130/80) are more aggressive and may not be appropriate for all older patients, especially those who are frail or have multiple comorbidities. Therefore, the best match for a general older population is keeping BP under 140/90.

For older adults, the aim is to reduce cardiovascular risk while avoiding the harms that can come with too-aggressive treatment. A blood pressure target of less than 140/90 is commonly used for the general population aged 60 and older because it provides meaningful risk reduction for stroke and heart disease without imposing excessive medication burden or increasing the risk of adverse effects like orthostatic dizziness.

A target higher than this (for example, 150/90) would miss opportunities to lower risk, while targets lower than this (such as 140/80 or 130/80) are more aggressive and may not be appropriate for all older patients, especially those who are frail or have multiple comorbidities. Therefore, the best match for a general older population is keeping BP under 140/90.

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