Intensive blood pressure control with a target systolic reading of less than 120 mm Hg can prolong the life of a 50-year-old by three years, say Harvard researchers.
Middle-aged patients had the greatest estimated benefits. This is due to a longer expected time on the intensive regimen. But other age groups benefited as well, the researchers reported. At age 65, intensive treatment could extend life by more than a year, they said. Similarly, an 80-year-old may add almost 10 months to his or her life span, wrote the study’s lead author, Muthiah Vaduganathan, M.D., M.P.H.
“High blood pressure has been implicated as one of the reasons for stalled progress in reducing heart disease-related deaths in the United States,” said Vaduganathan. “These data reinforce that tighter blood pressure control, especially when started earlier in life, may meaningfully prolong life span.”
The new study builds on the 2015 findings of the landmark Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial, or SPRINT, which found that intensive blood pressure control (vs. the standard systolic target of 140 mm Hg or below) reduced patients’ risk of cardiovascular events by 25%. These events included heart attack, stroke, heart failure and cardiovascular-related death.
The research will be presented this weekend at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2019 in Philadelphia.
