Implications for practice and research

• Clinicians should be aware of the increased risk of falls with high-dose antihypertensives.

• More clinical trials are needed to understand appropriate dose selection of antihypertensives in older patients.

Context

The recent Eighth Joint National Committee (JNC-8) guidelines have relaxed the systolic blood pressure goal for adults over 60 years to <150 mm Hg.1 These guidelines were changed because of the lack of evidence that stricter control conferred more benefits than harms.2 Research by Callisaya et al explores if higher quantification of antihypertensive medications is associated with falls in older adults, an area where mixed results are seen in the literature. …