Definitions of study outcomes are outlined in
the Supplementary Appendix. A committee whose
members were unaware of the study-group assignments adjudicated the clinical outcomes
specified in the protocol. The primary hypothesis was that treatment to reach a systolic bloodpressure target of less than 120 mm Hg, as compared with a target of less than 140 mm Hg,
would result in a lower rate of the composite
outcome of myocardial infarction, acute coronary
syndrome not resulting in myocardial infarction,
stroke, acute decompensated heart failure, or
death from cardiovascular causes. Secondary outcomes included the individual components of
the primary composite outcome, death from any
cause, and the composite of the primary outcome or death from any cause.
We also assessed renal outcomes, using a different definition for patients with chronic kidney
disease (eGFR