The ACCORD trial examined whether a
lower SBP of ,120 mmHg, in type 2 diabetic
patients at high risk for CVD, provided
greater cardiovascular protection
than an SBP level of 130–140 mmHg (9).
The study did not find a benefit in primary
end point (nonfatal MI, nonfatal stroke,
and cardiovascular death) comparing intensive
blood pressure treatment (goal
,120 mmHg, average blood pressure
achieved 5 119/64 mmHg on 3.4 medications)
with standard treatment (average
blood pressure achieved 5 143/70 mmHg
on 2.1 medications). In ACCORD, there was
no benefit of aggressive blood pressure
lowering, despite the extra cost and efforts.
In ADVANCE, the active blood pressure
intervention arm (a single-pill,
fixed-dose combination of perindopril
and indapamide) showed a significant
reduction in the risk of the primary composite
end point (major macrovascular
or microvascular event), as well as significant
reductions in the risk of death
from any cause and of death from
cardiovascular causes (10). The baseline
blood pressure among the study subjects
was 145/81 mmHg. Compared
with the placebo group, the patients
treated with a single-pill, fixed-dose
combination of perindopril and indapamide
experienced an average reduction
of 5.6 mmHg in SBP and 2.2 mmHg in
DBP. The final blood pressure in the
treated group was 136/73 mmHg, not
quite the intensive or tight control
achieved in ACCORD. Recently published
6-year follow-up of the ADVANCE-BP
study reported that the reductions in
the risk of death from any cause and of
death from cardiovascular causes in the
intervention group were attenuated, but
remained significant (11).
These results underscore the important
clinical difference between patients
who are able to easily achieve lower
blood pressure levels (e.g., as seen in
observational epidemiology studies)
and patients who require intensive
medical management to achieve these
goals (e.g., the clinical trials).