Another Trial of More-Intensive vs. Less-Intensive Blood-Pressure Lowering

In the SPRINT trial, published in 2015, U.S. researchers compared systolic blood pressure (BP) targets of 120 mm Hg and 140 mm Hg in patients (mean age, 68; NEJM JW Gen Med Dec 15 2015 and N Engl J Med 2015; 373:2103). During median follow-up of 3.3 years, a composite cardiovascular (CV) endpoint occurred less frequently in the more intensively treated group (5.2% vs. 6.8%). Systolic BPs during the trial averaged 122 mm Hg and 135 mm Hg, respectively, in the two groups.

Now, researchers in China have conducted a similar trial that involved ≈8500 hypertensive patients (age range, 60–80; mean age, 66) at high CV risk. Patients were randomized to a target systolic BP of 110 to 130 mm Hg or 130 to 150 mm Hg, based on office measurements. Preferr…