[Resistant hypertension in the elderly.]

Actually, in literature there are no epidemiologic studies on the prevalence of resistant hypertension in the elderly; however the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey observed in the adult population prevalence of 12.8% to clinical measurement. But, especially in elderly, it's necessary exclude pseudoresistance forms due to white coat hypertension, arterial stiffness, poor patient compliance to therapy, excessive salt intake, abuse of non-steroidal ant-inflammatory drugs and the forms of secondary hypertension. Arterial hypertension, which is really resistant, it is a greater cardiovascular risk and thus the need to implement adherence to healthy lifestyle and therapy and to implement a pharmacological therapy to block the renin-angiotensin system or a dihydropyridine calcium channel, if they are not already present in the therapy and/or aldosterone antagonists. Currently experimental clinical therapeutic studies are examining such methods as renal denervation and the stimulation of the baroreflex.