Lower systolic blood pressure reduces risk of hypertension complication

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-10/wfbm-lsb101315.php

Public Release: 13-Oct-2015
Lower systolic blood pressure reduces risk of hypertension complication
Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center

Lowering systolic blood pressure below the currently recommended target can reduce the risk of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), the most common complication of high blood pressure, according to new research.

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LVH, the enlargement and thickening of the walls of the left ventricle, the heart's main pumping chamber, is associated with an increased risk of heart failure, stroke and even sudden cardiac death. Although doctors have known that reversal of LVH can be achieved by sustained lowering of systolic blood pressure - the upper number on a blood pressure reading - it wasn't known if a strategy aimed at lowering blood pressure beyond the recommended level would reduce the risk.

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The baseline prevalence of LVH was similar in both groups, but after 4.4 years, the intensive-therapy group was associated with a 39 percent lower risk of LVH as compared to the standard-therapy group, according to the study authors.

"Our study provides evidence that making less than 120 the target systolic blood pressure in people with hypertension and diabetes reduces LVH," Soliman said. "Lowering blood pressure even below the standard is good for heart muscle."

This, he added, is in line with the recent report from the SPRINT trial showing that blood pressure lowering below 120 mmHg reduces cardiovascular events by almost a third, as compared to the target systolic pressure of 140 mmHg.

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