Hypertension: add another med vs increase current one in elderly
A large VA study confirmed that adding a new blood pressure medication was more effective than maximizing the dose of the current one, this study in older adults (see htn adding med vs intensification AIM2021 in dropbox, or doi:10.7326/M21-1456) Details: -- 178,562 patients in the VA system with inadequate blood pressure control were followed; 45,575 (25.5%) had a new BP med added, and 132,987 (74.5%) had their current med maximized -- eligibility criteria: antihypertensive med intensification at the beginning of the study (versus 3 months prior); age 65 or older with hypertension and established primary care in the VA system; at least two visits between July 1, 2009 and March 30, 2012; and visits to a primary care or hypertension-treating specialist in that time period, and a mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) of at least 130 mmHg -- mean age 76, 98.1% men, geriatric care 2%/hypertension-treating specialty care 7%, mean ...