Rothman AMK, MacFadyen J, Thuren T, et al. - Researchers present the findings of a secondary analysis of recent CANTOS (Canakinumab Anti-inflammatory Thrombosis Outcomes Study), which is a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial wherein 10,061 patients with prior myocardial infarction and hsCRP (high sensitivity C-reactive protein) ≥ 2 mg/L were randomized to canakinumab 50 mg, 150 mg, 300 mg, or placebo to determine if IL (interleukin)-1β inhibition would decrease blood pressure, avoid incident hypertension, and alter links between hypertension and cardiovascular events, given there is lack of certainty regarding the impact of therapies that particularly target inflammation on blood pressure, while hypertension and inflammation are physiologically inter-related. For the lowest to highest baseline tertiles of hsCRP, the estimated rates of incident hypertension were 23.4, 26.6, and 28.1 per 100-person years in patients without baseline hypertension. The follow-up period revealed no decrease in blood pressure or incident hypertension as a result of random allocation to canakinumab in all participants. A decrease in major adverse cardiovascular event rates was brought about by IL-1β inhibition with canakinumab. No link was revealed between mechanisms underlying this benefit and alterations in blood pressure or incident hypertension.