The systolic hypertension in the elderly program

The Systolic Hypertension in the Elderly Program (SHEP) was a randomized multicenter double-blind placebo-controlled trial designed to test the efficacy of antihypertensive drug treatment in persons 60 years of age or older who had isolated systolic hypertension (ISH). ISH was defined as a systolic blood pressure (SBP) (160–219 mmHg) and a diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (< 90 mmHg). Prior to the completion of SHEP, ISH remained the most important unresolved therapeutic problem involving hypertension; no definitive data were available on the possible benefits of treating this condition. Previous randomized controlled trials on efficacy of antihypertensive drug treatment, including the few that included older people in their samples, have focused primarily on the problem of elevated DBP (90 mmHg or higher) and used diastolic hypertension as the sole or main entry criterion.