Association of Optimal Blood Pressure With Critical Cardiorenal Events and Mortality in High-Risk and Low-Risk Patients Treated With Antihypertension Medications

Blood pressure control in patients aged above and below 75 years

It remains unclear what the blood pressure target is and at which point in life it is appropriate for antihypertensive treatment. This study aimed to determine age-specific systolic blood pressure (SBP) targets. In a nationwide cohort of 296,470 hypertensive patients aged ≥75 years and a representative cohort of 259,028 hypertensives aged 45-74 years, multivariable-adjusted incidence rates of cardio-kidney composite events, overt dementia, and all-cause deaths were estimated across yearly-averaged on-treatment SBP levels according to age and the presence of 4 additional risk factors (diabetes, dyslipidemia, albuminuria, and smoking). For cardio-kidney events, on-treatment SBP showed positive curvilinear associations with higher risks at ≥135 mm Hg in most while an attenuated association in age ≥85 years. For overt dementia, SBP showed flat or slightly inverted associations in elderly while a small positive association in age 45-64 years. For all-cause mortality, SBP showed J-shaped associations having right-shifting tendency with age. For risk categories with ≥2, 1, and no additional risk factors, the respective mortality rate differences between SBP 145-154 mm Hg and 125-134 mm Hg were 4.6 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.0 to 7.3), 1.2 (95% CI, -0.3 to 2.8), and 0.1 (95% CI, -1.4 to 1.8) per 1000 person-years in age ≥75 years and 2.9 (95% CI, 1.7 to 4.3), 0.7 (95% CI, 0.1 to 1.4), and 0.9 (95% CI, 0.2 to 1.6) per 1000 person-years in age 45-74 years. In conclusion, the BP target can be relaxed in very old patients and in elderly patients with few risk factors. However, strict BP control may be needed in patients with multiple risk factors even in those with advanced age.

Blood pressure categories defined by the 2017 ACC/AHA guideline and all-cause mortality: a national cohort study in China and meta-analysis

The 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guideline recommends a lowered threshold for hypertension diagnosis. Nonetheless, the association of blood pressure (BP) groups defined by the new guideline and all-cause mortality has not been fully estimated, especially in general Chinese. Based on the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) during 2011-2018, 12,964 participants aged 45 years or older at baseline were enrolled for a follow-up of 7 years. Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the relationship of BP classifications with all-cause mortality, with normal BP (<120/80 mmHg) as a reference. Afterwards, eligible studies shed light in this field were searched in public databases, and meta-analysis was conducted. In CHARLS, there were 41.21% and 16.08% individuals with stage 2 hypertension and stage 1 hypertension, respectively. During the follow-up, 1293 death occurred. The redefined stage 1 (130-139/80-89 mmHg) and stage 2 hypertension (≥140/≥90 mmHg) were found to have increased risk of death in the crude model, but only stage 2 hypertension maintained statistically significance after adjustment. Furthermore, meta-analysis including CHARLS and nine other prospective studies, with a total of 290,609 participants followed up for 3,081,532 person-years, resulted in similar results (combined hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) was 1.07 (0.99-1.15) for stage 1 hypertension, and 1.39 (1.25-1.53) for stage 2 hypertension). The present study detected that individuals with stage 2 and stage 1 hypertension had increased likelihood to die from any cause, but only the former association achieved statistically significance. Further cohorts with long-term follow-up duration are warranted, especially in China.

Modifiable Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease in Korea and Japan

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death and a major contributor to disability worldwide. Since the majority of cardiovascular events are preventable, identification of modifiable CVD risk factors and implementation of primordial prevention strategies should be a public health priority. In this aspect, the American Heart Association declared a strategic goal to reduce total CVD mortality in the US by 20% within 10 years via eliminating 7 major CVD risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, cigarette smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, and poor-quality diet) in 2010, and their strategy has been achieving. However, the applicability of similar metrics to prevent CVD among East Asians requires an in-depth investigation of the modifiable CVD risk factors based on national and regional evidence-based findings. Herein, this review article aims to discuss several modifiable risk factors for CVDs, using epidemiological evidence from cohort studies and nationally representative data of 2 East Asian countries: Korea and Japan.

On-treatment blood pressure and long-term outcomes in chronic kidney disease

BACKGROUND

The treatment BP target in CKD remains unclear, and whether the benefit of intensive BP-lowering is comparable between CKD and non-CKD patients is debated.

METHODS

Using the Korean National Health Information Database, 359,492 CKD patients who had received antihypertensives regularly were identified from 12.1 million participants of nationwide health screening. The composite risk of major cardiovascular events, kidney failure, and all-cause mortality was assessed according to timely-averaged, on-treatment systolic BP.

RESULTS

Over 9-year follow-up, the composite outcome noted in 18.4% of 239,700 participants with eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m2 and 18.9% of 155,004 with dipstick albuminuria. The thresholds of systolic BP, above which the composite risk increased significantly, in the reduced eGFR and the proteinuric population were 135 mm Hg and 125 mm Hg, respectively. For all-cause mortality, the respective thresholds were 145 mm Hg and 135 mm Hg. When comparing the composite risk between propensity score-matched groups, the hazard ratios of on-treatment BP of systolic 135-144 mm Hg (reference, 115-124 mm Hg) in the reduced eGFR and non-CKD pairs were 1.18 and 0.98, respectively (P = 0.13 for interaction), and those in the proteinuria and non-CKD pairs were 1.30 and 1.01, respectively (P = 0.003 for interaction).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings support the recommendation that, based on office BP, the systolic target in CKD with proteinuria is ≤ 130 mm Hg, and the target in CKD with no proteinuria is ≤ 140 mm Hg. The benefit of intensive BP-lowering may be greater in CKD patients particularly with proteinuria than in their non-CKD counterparts.

Statin use and outcome risks according to predicted CVD risk in Korea: A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

The validity of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk calculators in decision for statin therapy has not been fully evaluated at a population level. This study aimed to examine the net benefits of statins according to predicted CVD risk.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

A cohort of 40 to 79-year-old Korean adults without CVD was generated from the National Health Information Database 2006-2017. Major CVD event rates and all-cause mortality in 58,265 users who initiated statins during 2007-2010 were compared with those in 58,265 nonusers matched on propensity scores, from January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2017. Additionally, simulation was performed for the population-based cohort of 659,759 adults. CVD risk was predicted using the 2018 revised Pooled Cohort Equations. In propensity score-matched cohort, the CVD hazard ratios (95% CIs) in occasional, intermittent, and regular statin users were 1.06 (0.93-1.20), 0.82 (0.70-0.97), and 0.57 (0.50-0.64), respectively. The corresponding mortality hazard ratios were 1.01 (0.92-1.10), 0.87 (0.78-0.98), and 0.71 (0.66-0.77), respectively. In stratified analyses, the relative risk reductions were similar, irrespective of age, sex, or predicted CVD risk. Accordingly, absolute risk reductions were greater in higher risk categories. In 6-year follow-up simulation cohorts, regular statin use could reduce 17 CVDs and 28 deaths in 1000 adults with a 10-year risk of ≥10.0% vs 10 CVDs and 14 deaths in 1000 with ≥2 major risk factors. However, in actual adults with a risk of ≥10%, statin use was insufficient and estimated to reduce 3 CVDs and 4 deaths in 1000. Limitations of this study include assessment of medication use based on the prescription data, lack of information on the intensity of statins, and limited generalizability to individuals with very old age or other ethnicity.

CONCLUSIONS

CVD risk calculators were valid in decision-making for primary prevention statin therapy. Proper risk assessment and regular statin use in patients at high predicted risk would reduce outcome risks much more than present in Asian populations.