US Pharm. 2015;40(10):20.
Bethesda, MD—According to initial results of a landmark clinical trial sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), more intensive management of hypertension significantly reduces the rates of cardiovascular disease and death. The intervention in this trial, which carefully adjusted the amount or type of blood pressure medication to achieve a target systolic pressure of 120 mmHg, reduced rates of cardiovascular events such as heart attack, heart failure, and stroke by almost a third and the risk of death by almost a quarter, as compared to the target systolic pressure of 140 mmHg. The results provide important evidence that treating blood pressure to a lower goal in older or high-risk patients can be beneficial and yield better health results overall.
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