Haemodynamic and humoral profiles of indonesian elderly hypertensive patients

In an attempt to investigate the haemodynatmic and humoral profile of the elderly hypertensive patients, 60 patients (30 older than 60 years and 30 younger than 40 years) were studied. The elderly patients were matched for mean arterial pressure, sex, height and weight with the younger patients. Cardiac output, cardiac index, heart rate, renal blood flow, glomerular filtration rate and plasma renin activity were significantly lower in the elderly, whereas total peripheral as well as renal vascular resistance, left ventricular posterior wall, septal thickness and plasma atrial natriuretic peptide were higher. It is concluded that hypertension in the elderly is a distinct entity with specific cardiac, haemodynamic and humoral findings.