Abstract              Background: Elderly persons with untreated hypertension are at higher risk of suffering from stroke and other major cardiovascular events. Knowledge of the extent of the problem in a region helps in taking the preventing measures. Aim: To study the clinical profile of elderly patients with hypertension at a tertiary care hospital. Material and Methods: All patients above the age of 65 years, irrespective of their hypertensive status were included in this study. All patients were classified according to blood pressure readings. In all patients, ECG and fundus examination was done. 2D Echo was done whenever necessary. Results: Of the 127 hypertensive patients, 74 (58%) were males and 53 (42%) were females. The most common presentation was fatigue 35%, followed by angina 15% and giddiness 13% and 4% were asymptomatic. Isolated systolic hypertension was diagnosed in 25 (19.9%) patients. Hypertensive retinopathy was found in 74 (37%) patients and dyslipidemia was found in 47 (23.5%) patients. Conclusion: The degree of risk from hypertension can be categorized with reasonable accuracy by taking into account the level of blood pressure and the biological aggressiveness of the hypertension. The present study reiterates the need for early detection, assessment of overall cardiovascular risk and treatment of hypertension in the elderly.

Key Words: Hypertension, Elderly, Isolated systolic hypertension, retinopathy.