This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Numbers needed to treat in hypertensive elderly patients in order to prevent a stroke

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

A meta-analysis of all published and unpublished randomised controlled trials of the treatment of hypertension in elderly patients was performed.

Twelve studies were included in the review.

The total population reviewed was 14,219, with an average age of 70 years. The mean entry blood pressure was 178/95. The average follow-up was 3.9 years.

Treatment of hypertension resulted in:

  • an odds ratio for all cause mortality of 0.88 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.79-0.97)
  • an odds ratio for stroke events of 0.64 (CI 0.55-0.73)
  • an odds ratio for coronary events of 0.80 (CI 0.70-0.92)

The numbers needed to treat for five years were:

  • 22 patients to prevent one stroke

  • 45 patients to prevent one coronary event

Reference:

  • Sanderson, S. (1996). Hypertension in the elderly: pressure to treat? Health Trends. 28(2), 71-5.

Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.