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(Hypertension. 2005;46:261.)
© 2005 American Heart Association, Inc.

Editorial Commentaries

Does Blood Pressure Control Contribute to a More Successful Aging?

From the Centre de Gériatrie CHU-Nancy and INSERM U684, Nancy, France.

Correspondence to A. Benetos, Professor of Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Centre de Gériatrie CHU-Nancy and INSERM U684, Nancy, France. E-mail a.benetos@chu-nancy.fr

An extract of the first 250 words of the full text is provided, because this article has no abstract.

In developed countries, life expectancy at birth dramatically increased from 47 years at the beginning of the 20th century to 80 years at the beginning of the 21st century. This astonishing change in survival patterns was primarily attributable to the very significant decrease in infant mortality and to the eradication of infectious diseases, both of which are strongly related to the improvement of life conditions and to the progress of modern medicine. At the same time, although to a lesser degree, the progress in diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, especially of cancer and cardiovascular diseases, has also contributed to increased life expectancy at more advanced ages. A significant increase in life expectancy leads to an important increase in the number of subjects who are frail, incapacitated, and have reduced autonomy.

The perspectives of a greater increase in life expectancy raises several biological, ethical, medical, and socioeconomic questions that go far beyond the scope of this article. Nevertheless, one of the major issues of modern medicine is how to increase disease-free and incapacity-free life expectancy. The progressive reduction in functional reserves and the deterioration of cognitive, cardiovascular, sensorial, and osteomuscular systems are the most frequent causes of frailty, incapacity, and loss of autonomy in the elderly.

Assessment of clinical and biological markers and factors associated with morbidity and mortality has become a major issue that has considerable medical, social, and economic consequences. This concept, which evolved primarily in the field of cardiovascular medicine, led to the creation of a large number of . . . [Full Text of this Article]