Recent details issued today from a milestone study could lead to changes in blood pressure protocols.
The study revealed that in patients at heightened risk for heart diseases, focusing for a systolic blood pressure -- the upper number in identifying a blood pressure -- of less than 120 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury) generates reduced numbers of severe cases of cardiovascular occurrence and death, compared to patients whose goal systolic blood pressure was 140 mm Hg.
The conclusions from the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) wereconferred at the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Orlando, Florida.
As reported by CBS News, for the research, the experts randomly selected 9,361 participants with a systolic blood pressure of 130 mm Hg or higher and a heightened cardiovascular risk, and who didn't have diabetes, to one of two groups: a basic medication group in which the systolic blood pressure objective was less than 140 mm Hg, or an exhaustive medication group in which the objective was less than 120 mm Hg. They traced results including stroke, heart failure, heart attacks, acute coronary syndromes or death.
The research findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, adjoin to earlier findings released in September. At that time, research analysts halted on their research at 3.26 years, short of the initially planned five-year mark, because of the depth of the findings.
The experts are now reporting a 25 percent decline in cardiovascular occurrence, including heart attack and stroke, and people in the dynamic medication group were 27 percent less probably to die of any cause. The research also found a 43 percent decline in heart-related deaths.
The milestone study from the National Institutes of Health exhibits clear advantages to lowering systolic blood pressure lower than 120 for patients over age 50 who are at risk of heart disease. Presently, protocols suggest that patients keep the upper blood pressure number below 140, but researchers say those suggestions could be updated in light of the most recent findings.
