To evaluate the association between achieved systolic blood pressure (SBP) levels and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), all-cause mortality, and adverse treatment events in high-risk hypertensive patients.
Approach:
Key Findings:
Lower achieved SBP (<120 mmHg) was associated with significantly fewer MACE events compared to higher SBP (14.8 vs. 26.5, p = 0.03) over a median follow-up of 18 months.
Relative risk reduction of 30% was noted in patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease.
Adverse events were slightly more common in the lower SBP group but remained clinically manageable (9.3% vs. 4.8%; p = 0.60).
Interpretation:
Lower achieved SBP levels in high-risk hypertensive patients correlate with reduced cardiovascular event rates, particularly in those with diabetes and chronic kidney disease, though results should be interpreted cautiously due to study limitations.
Limitations:
Study is retrospective, which may limit the applicability of findings.
Potential confounding factors, such as medication adherence and lifestyle changes, were not controlled for in the analysis.
Conclusion:
Further prospective studies are needed to define optimal BP targets, especially in high-risk populations.