Some Adverse Cardiovascular Events Are Prevented by Intensive Blood Pressure Lowering

In a meta-analysis, lowering systolic BP to <140 mm Hg benefitted patients, but hypotension became more common.

Investigators from the large, randomized SPRINT study recently reported significantly lower incidence of major adverse cardiovascular (CV) events in high-risk patients who received antihypertensive treatment to blood pressure (BP) targets of 120 mm Hg rather than 140 mm Hg (NEJM JW Gen Med Dec 15 2015 and N Engl J Med 2015 Nov 9; [e-pub]). In this meta-analysis, researchers combined outcomes from 19 previous randomized trials in which >44,000 patients (average baseline BP, 159/92 mm Hg) received either more- or less-intensive antihypertensive therapy for a mean of 3.8 years.

Mean BPs dropped to 140/81 mm Hg with low-intensity treatment and to 133/76 mm Hg with high-intensity treatment. Patients who received more-intensive therapy had signifi…

Reviewing Author

Bruce Soloway, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsNew RoAR News (http://www.newroarnews.org)

Bruce Soloway, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsNew RoAR News (http://www.newroarnews.org)

Some Adverse Cardiovascular Events Are Prevented by Intensive Blood Pressure Lowering

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Reviewing Author