This is another dataset showing that blood pressure reduction in elderly people with hypertension is safe and extremely important. Clinicians today often exclude elderly patients from aggressive blood pressure control because of an unrealized fear of causing hypotension and falls. These new data add to what’s already been reported in support of the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association blood pressure treatment target of less than 130/80 mm Hg for noninstitutionalized, ambulatory, community-dwelling adults who are aged at least 65 years (Hypertension. 2018 June;71[6]:e13-e115). Many clinicians continue to have concerns about what this guideline says about treating older patients. These new findings support the idea that blood pressure can safely be treated to the level the guideline recommends while producing signals of beneficial changes in brain health and in cognitive function.

The INFINITY results showed a mechanistic change in the formation of new white matter hyperintensity on MR brain scans. The inability of the study to link this effect to a slowing of declines in cognitive function or movement is not a surprise because these pathologies had already been going on for years and it is easy to think that it might take more than 3 years of lower blood pressures to produce a discernible effect. My guess is that, if the researchers followed these patients for 5 years, they would see an effect in these measures. Follow-up also showed an important reduction in hard cardiovascular events.

Providers worry a lot about the potential for harm from treatment. These findings add to the data that say clinicians can safely follow the blood pressure management guideline to benefit even very old patients.

Eileen Handberg, PhD , is a research professor of medicine and director of the Cardiovascular Clinical Trials Program at the University of Florida in Gainesville. She had no relevant disclosures. She made these comments in an interview.