Lowering blood pressure reduces cardiovascular risk, but its value in people with normal systolic pressure and elevated diastolic pressure has been unclear.
This meta-analysis included pooled data from 51 trials involving 358,325 participants, of whom 4.4% had isolated diastolic hypertension (IDH)1.
Over 4.2 years, reducing systolic pressure by 5 mmHg lowered major cardiovascular events to a similar degree in people with and without IDH. Treatment effects did not vary by baseline diastolic pressure, cardiovascular history, age, prior medication, or measurement method.
The study found no evidence that BP-lowering therapy is more, or less effective in IDH compared with other groups, and benefits did not diminish at lower diastolic pressures.
As published in NZ Doctor and Research Review
