In newly identified hypertensive patients, the average time per year spent with target blood pressure (BP) is sub-optimal. However, the longer the time spent at target BP, the lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality, according to the Time at BP Target Late-Breaking Clinical Trial presented November 13, at American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2017.

Mar Pujades-Rodriguez, MBBS, PhD, et al., looked at 169,082 individuals with newly identified high BP who were free of cardiovascular disease for a median follow up of 4.9 years.

Results showed that the median time per year spent by newly identified hypertensive patients at BP targets was 2.8 months. Further, only 0.6% of patients had BP targets >=11 months. In addition, compared to individuals with an average time per year at BP targets of 3-5.9 months, patients 6-8.9 months, and 9-11.9 months had 27% and 30% lower odds of the composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction and stroke (adjusted odds ratios, 0.73 and 0.70 respectively). The researchers add that a lower value of 0 and <3 months, increased the odds of disease by 4.5 and 1.8.

The researchers explain that time spent with target levels could be a better BP control measures than others, such as achieving BP control status within the first year, mean BP, and visit-to-visit change in BP. They conclude that their study supports the importance of efforts to sustain BP control over time.