Blood pressure control, not the specific medication regimen, is what matters

The Blood Pressure Lowering Treatment Trialists’ Collaboration examined primary data from 23 trials as well as summary data from an additional 3 trials to define the CV effects of lowering blood pressure in people with and without chronic kidney disease. This study included randomised trials of drugs to lower blood pressure that were compared with placebo or other drugs with at least 1000 patient years of follow-up in each treatment arm. The primary outcome was major CV events (the composite of stroke, myocardial infarction, heart failure or CV death), with secondary outcomes of each element of the composite outcome as well as all-cause mortality. These 26 trials included 152 290 patients, of which 30 295 had impaired renal function (estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of <60 mL/min/1.73 m²). Meta-analysis according to baseline kidney function was performed and pooled HRs were estimated per 5 mm Hg lower SBP. Blood pressure lowering was found to reduce the risk of the primary outcome by approximately 17% per 5 mm Hg reduction in SBP, regardless of eGFR. Furthermore, there was no evidence of any difference in effect by choice of blood pressure control regimen.