Intensive Blood Pressure Control in High-Normal BP: Impact on Cardiovascular Outcomes

High-normal blood pressure (systolic BP 130–139 mmHg and diastolic BP < 90 mmHg) in individuals without comorbidities but with elevated cardiovascular (CV) risk presents a therapeutic dilemma, as the benefits of pharmacological intervention remain uncertain due to limited evidence. To address this gap, a study evaluated whether reducing systolic BP to below 130 mmHg could prevent major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in 14,562 individuals with high-normal BP and a 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk ≥ 7.5%. The study found that the control group had a slightly higher mean age (67.7 vs. 66.1 years) and 10-year ASCVD risk (17.4% vs.

15.9%) compared with the intervention group, while the proportion of females was similar (16.2% vs. 19.5%). Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) occurred less frequently in the intensive treatment group (9 participants; 1.57…