More Evidence that Excessive Blood Pressure Lowering Can Heighten Cardiovascular Risk

Optimal target blood pressure (BP) for patients who are receiving antihypertensive therapy remains controversial; numerous studies have suggested that excessive BP lowering can increase risk for some adverse cardiovascular (CV) events. However, in the SPRINT trial, targeting a systolic BP of <120 mm Hg lowered the incidence of adverse CV events more than did less-aggressive treatment, although average achieved systolic BP actually remained slightly higher than 120 mm Hg (NEJM JW Gen Med Dec 15 2015 and N Engl J Med 2015; 373:2174). To elucidate further the relation between BP and adverse CV outcomes, researchers analyzed pooled data from 31,000 high-risk patients (age, ≥55; history of CV disease or diabetes with organ damage; 70% with hyper…