Zhang W, Zhang S, Deng Y, et al. - A lower incidence of cardiovascular events in older patients with hypertension was achieved with intensive treatment with a systolic blood-pressure target of 110 to less than 130 mm Hg vs standard treatment with a target of 130 to less than 150 mm Hg.

• This is a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial of Chinese patients 60 to 80 years of age with hypertension, who were (n=8511) randomized to a systolic blood-pressure target of 110 to less than 130 mm Hg (intensive treatment) or a target of 130 to less than 150 mm Hg (standard treatment).

• A composite of stroke, acute coronary syndrome, acute decompensated heart failure, coronary revascularization, atrial fibrillation, or death from cardiovascular causes, was assessed (primary outcome).

• In the intensive- and standard-treatment groups, primary-outcome events occurred in 147 (3.5%) and 196 (4.6%) patients, respectively (hazard ratio, 0.74), during a median follow-up of 3.34 years.

• Intensive treatment was favored based on outcomes for most of the individual components of the primary outcome: hazard ratio for stroke was 0.67, acute coronary syndrome 0.67, acute decompensated heart failure 0.27, coronary revascularization 0.69, atrial fibrillation 0.96, and death from cardiovascular causes 0.72.

• The two groups had no significant difference in safety and renal outcomes, except that intensive treatment group had a higher incidence of hypotension.