BACKGROUND: Sistemic arterial hypertension is one of the most common health problems, affecting approximately 600 million people worldwide. In Brazil, approximately 65% of the elderly population has this disease. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the pharmacotherapy in hypertensive elderly living in a geriatric home, after pharmacotherapeutic monitoring and pharmaceutical interventions. METHODOLOGY: Quantitative, observational study with longitudinal retrospective design. Thirty-one (62%) of 50 elderly individuals (over 60 years) of both sexes diagnosed with hypertension participated. Monthly averages of systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressure from September/2008 to July/2010 were evaluated. The analysis was conducted through descriptive statistics and Student t test for paired samples. RESULTS: Concerning drug treatment for hypertension, the predominant use was the classes of ACE inhibitors (71%) and diuretics (41.9%); 61.3% of study patients are under pharmacological treatment with combination of antihypertensive agents. There were no clinically relevant drug interactions between antihypertensive agents and other therapeutic classes used by the elderly. There was a drop in mean blood pressure as well as the number of patients with abnormal blood pressure. CONCLUSION: The decrease of pressure averages can be due to several factors and, after pharmacotherapeutic monitoring in these patients, blood pressure levels improved.
Pharmaceutical care; Elderly; Hypertension; Drug Therapy; Health of the Elderly
