Stricter Systolic BP Control Linked with Higher Premature Death in CKD Patients

In a study of 77,765 patients with CKD, the mortality rate in those with a goal systolic blood pressure (SBP) <120 mm Hg was significantly higher than for those with a goal SBP of 120 to 139 mm Hg, with patients in the tighter SBP group having a 70% increased risk of dying over a median of 6 years. The death rate in the tighter SBP group was 80.9/1000 patient-years, compared with 41.8/1000 patient-years in the looser SBP group. The increased risk associated with tighter SBP was also present in subgroup analyses of patients with conditions such as diabetes and heart failure, according to the JAMA Internal Medicine findings.