Abstract Aims: To study the common symptoms at presentation, prevalence of target organ damages and the effect of risk factors like obesity, alcoholism, smoking, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia in producing these complications among elderly hypertensives. Methods: This was a cross sectional study conducted in two hundred adult patients with hypertension who were aged above or equal to60years, admitted to the medical wards of Travancore Medical College hospital, Kollam. Statistical analysis was done using chi square test and Gaussian test wherever required. Results: In our study, among the elderly hypertensives, headache was the chief commonest complaint (36%).The commonest target organ damage involved were of cardiovascular system (35%).The prevalence of target organ damage among elderly hypertensives with risk factors like obesity, alcoholism, smoking, diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia were higher, compared to elderly hypertensives without these risk factors. Conclusion: Headache was the common symptom of presentation among the elderly hypertensives. Of the target organ damages, those involving cardiovascular system were the most common. Although the prevalence of target organ damage among elderly hypertensives with risk factors, were higher thanelderly hypertensives without these risk factors, statistical significance was present only for dyslipidemia

Keywords: elderly hypertensives, hypertensive.