Epidemiological Studies on Geriatric Hypertension in Korea

A total of 4757 apparently healthy aged persons over 65 years of age was surveyed for geriatric hypertension. A single blood pressure measurement was taken in the sitting position. Mean systolic blood pressure rose significantly with age in female but didn't in male and mean diastolic blood pressure didn't change with age in both sex. The prevalence of pure systolic hypertension, i.e., a systolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 160 mmhg and a diastolic blood pressure less than 95mmhg, increased with age. The prevalence was slighty lower for female than it was for male, being 7.0% for female and 8.0% for male. The prevalence of classical hypertension-defined as diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 95mmhg - was 42.7% for female and 48.2% for male and it rose with age in female. The prevalence of both pure systolic and classical hypertension was 49.7% for female and 56.1% for male.

Antihypertensive Effect of Long-acting Propranolol(Inderal LA(R)) A Clinical study

A clinical study on the antihypertensive effect of long-acting propranolol was performed in 25 patients with essential hypertension. Following a week treatment of the subjects with the regimen of propranolol 40mg twice a day during the first week, 160mg of long-acting propranolol was given once a day for the subsequent 4 weeks. At the end of the fifth week, in 8 out of 25(32%) blood pressures were lowered to the level of 140/90 mmHg or lower, in another 8(32%) the blood pressures were lowered by 20 mmHg or more of systolic and/or 10mmhg or more of the diastolic pressures. Eleven out of 12 subjects, whose blood pressures had been significantly lowered at the end of the first week of propranolol treatment, manifested significant blood pressure lowerings also at the end of 4 weeks' long-acting propranolol treatments. Long-acting propranolol had beneficial effect of ameliorating anginal pain in 2 subjects who had had angina pectoris before the beginning of hypertension. Adverse side eiffects observed were mild fatigue in one, indigestion in one and sinus bradycardia in another one.