[Concept and clinical character of hypertension in the elderly].

Although blood pressure in the elderly was modulated by "physiological" changes due to aging, "pathological" changes in the elderly patients with essential hypertension cause to increase cardiovascular events and mortality. Hypertension in the elderly shows increase of pulse pressure, abnormal blood pressure daily profile and orthostatic hypotension. The importance of control of blood pressure in the elderly hypertensive patients is quite clear, however, the optimal blood pressure is still unclear. Very recently, clinical guideline of JSH 2004 by Japanese Society of Hypertension was published. We should try to control blood pressure in the elderly patients according to this guideline.