Ji Guang Wang

BACKGROUND: Isolated systolic hypertension occurs in around 8% of Chinese people aged 60 years or older. In 1988, the Systolic Hypertension in China (Syst-China) Collaborative Group started to investigate whether active treatment could reduce the incidence of stroke and other cardiovascular complications in older patients with isolated systolic hypertension. METHODS: All patients were initially started on masked placebo. After stratification for centre, sex and previous cardiovascular complications, alternate patients (n=1253) were assigned nitrendipine at 10-40 mg daily, with the addition of captopril at 12.5-50.0 mg daily or hydrochlorothiazide at 12.5-50.0 mg daily, or both, if a sufficient blood pressure fall was not obtained. In the remaining 1141 control patients, matching placebos were administered similarly. RESULTS: At entry, sitting blood pressure averaged 170.5 mmHg systolic and 86.0 mmHg diastolic, age averaged 66.5 years and total serum cholesterol was 5.1 mmol/l. After 2 years of follow-up, sitting systolic and diastolic blood pressures had fallen by 10.9 mmHg and 1.9 mmHg in the placebo group and by 20.0 mmHg and 5.0 mmHg in the active treatment group. The intergroup differences were 9.1 mmHg systolic (95% confidence interval 7.6-10.7 mmHg ) and 3.2 mmHg diastolic (95% confidence interval 2.4-4.0). Active treatment reduced total strokes by 38% (from 20.8 to 13.0 endpoints per 1000 patient-years, P=0.01), all-cause mortality by 39% (from 28.4 to 17.4 endpoints per 1000 patient-years, P=0.003), cardiovascular mortality by 39% (from 15.2 to 9.4 endpoints per 1000 patient-years, P=0.03), stroke mortality by 58% (from 6.9 to 2.9 endpoints per 1000 patient-years, P=0.02), and ail fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular endpoints by 37% (from 33.3 to 21.4 endpoints per 1000 patient-years, P=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Antihypertensive treatment prevents stroke and other cardiovascular complications in older Chinese patients with isolated systolic hypertension. Treatment of 1000 Chinese patients for 5 years could prevent 55 deaths, 39 strokes or 59 major cardiovascular endpoints.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The Intensive Blood Pressure Reduction In Acute Cerebral Haemorrhage Trial (INTERACT) study suggests that early intensive blood pressure (BP) lowering can attenuate hematoma growth at 24 hours after intracerebral hemorrhage. The present analyses aimed to determine the effects of treatment on hematoma and perihematomal edema over 72 hours. METHODS: INTERACT included 404 patients with CT-confirmed intracerebral hemorrhage, elevated systolic BP (150 to 220 mm Hg), and capacity to start BP-lowering treatment within 6 hours of intracerebral hemorrhage. Patients were randomly assigned to an intensive (target systolic BP 140 mmHg) or standard guideline-based management of BP (target systolic BP 180 mm Hg) using routine intravenous agents. Baseline and repeat CTs (24 and 72 hours) were performed using standardized techniques with digital images analyzed centrally. Outcomes were increases in hematoma and perihematomal edema volumes over 72 hours. RESULTS: Overall, 296 patients had all 3 CT scans available for the hematoma and 270 for the edema analyses. Mean systolic BP was 11.7 mm Hg lower in the intensive group than in the guideline group during 1 to 24 hours. Adjusted mean absolute increases in hematoma volumes (mL) at 24 and 72 hours were 2.40 and 0.15 in the guideline group compared with -0.74 and -2.31 in the intensive group, respectively, an overall difference of 2.80 (95% CI, 1.04 to 4.56; P=0.002). Adjusted mean absolute increases in edema volumes (mL) at 24 and 72 hours were 6.27 and 10.02 in the guideline group compared with 4.19 and 7.34 in the intensive group, respectively, for an overall difference of 2.38 (95% CI, -0.45 to 5.22; P=0.10). CONCLUSIONS: Early intensive BP-lowering treatment attenuated hematoma growth over 72 hours in intracerebral hemorrhage. There were no appreciable effects on perihematomal edema.

The present paper provides an update of previous recommendations on Home Blood Pressure Monitoring from the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) Working Group on Blood Pressure Monitoring and Cardiovascular Variability sequentially published in years 2000, 2008 and 2010. This update has taken into account new evidence in this field, including a recent statement by the American Heart association, as well as technological developments, which have occurred over the past 20 years. The present document has been developed by the same ESH Working Group with inputs from an international team of experts, and has been endorsed by the ESH.