Treating Pre-Hypertension Extends Lives

The risk of death from cardiovascular causes starts to rise once systolic blood pressure goes above 115. That’s the upper or higher number in the usual blood pressure reading, but 115 is well below the level considered hypertensive. Doctors have wondered whether treating people with pre-hypertension to lower their blood pressure would improve survival, and several studies have been done. In a meta-analysis of 25 clinical trials, scientists determined that blood pressure treatment does lower some risks, including that of stroke, congestive heart failure and death from any cause. The studies included more than 64,000 participants who had cardiovascular disease. The risk of death during the studies was reduced by approximately 14 people per 1,000 in the treatment group, but the investigators caution that these results may not apply to people without cardiovascular disease.

[Journal of the American Medical Association, Mar. 2, 2011]