Treating patients to lower than st and ard BP targets , < /=140 - 160/90 - 100 mmHg , does not reduce mortality or morbidity .
BACKGROUND When treating elevated blood pressure , doctors need to know what blood pressure ( BP ) target they should try to achieve .
The st and ard of clinical practice for some time has been < /= 140 - 160/ 90 - 100 mmHg .
New guidelines are recommending BP targets lower than this st and ard .
It is not known whether attempting to achieve targets lower than the st and ard reduces mortality and morbidity .
OBJECTIVES To determine if lower BP targets ( < /= 135/85 mmHg ) are associated with reduction in mortality and morbidity as compared with st and ard BP targets ( < /= 140 - 160/ 90 - 100 mmHg ) .
Rationale and design for the blood pressure intervention of the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) trial.
The Action to Control Cardiovascular Disease in Diabetes ( ACCORD ) blood pressure trial is an unmasked , open-label , r and omized trial with a sample size of 4,733 participants . This report describes the rationale , design , and methods of the blood pressure interventions in ACCORD . Participants eligible for the blood pressure trial are r and omized to 1 of 2 groups with different treatment goals : systolic blood pressure < 120 mm Hg for the more intensive goal and systolic blood pressure < 140 mm Hg for the less intensive goal .  The primary outcome measure for the trial is the first occurrence of a major cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) event , specifically nonfatal myocardial infa rct ion or stroke , or cardiovascular death during a follow-up period ranging from 4 - 8 years . The ACCORD blood pressure trial should provide the first definitive clinical trial data on the possible benefit of treating to a more aggressive systolic blood pressure goal in reducing CVD events in patients with diabetes mellitus
Treating patients to lower than st and ard BP targets , < /=140 - 160/90 - 100 mmHg , does not reduce mortality or morbidity .
BACKGROUND When treating elevated blood pressure , doctors need to know what blood pressure ( BP ) target they should try to achieve .
The st and ard of clinical practice for some time has been < /= 140 - 160/ 90 - 100 mmHg .
New guidelines are recommending BP targets lower than this st and ard .
It is not known whether attempting to achieve targets lower than the st and ard reduces mortality and morbidity .
OBJECTIVES To determine if lower BP targets ( < /= 135/85 mmHg ) are associated with reduction in mortality and morbidity as compared with st and ard BP targets ( < /= 140 - 160/ 90 - 100 mmHg ) .