Revised BP targets For Diabetes Patients May Increase Number of Stroke Patients
The recommended target blood pressure was recently raised by the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare . This can result in more patients afflicted by stroke or heart attack, according to a new study from the Sahlgrenska Academy. The new study is the world's largest on the matter and is based on data from the National Diabetes Register.
In February 2015, the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare increased the recommended goal for systolic blood pressure (blood pressure when the heart is contracting) in their guidelines for diabetes care.
The goal blood pressure was raised in the previous amount of below 130 mm Hg to below 140 mm Hg. The recommended target is important for how intensive antihypertensive treatment should be in patients with diabetes as mentioned at diabetes forums.
Linear relationship
The background for the revised recommendation was research implying that not only high blood pressure values, but values below 130 mm Hg could cause increased morbidity from cardiovascular diseases.
The researchers behind the new study are questioning this. Their study shows a linear relationship between cardiovascular disease and blood pressure. The lower the blood pressure, the fewer instances of stroke and myocardial infarction at the lowest levels.
It may lead to more instances of stroke and myocardial infarction in this patient group," said Staffan Björck, Associate Professor of Nephrology at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg and one of the researchers behind the study mentioned at pain forum.
The new study is based on data from the Prescribed Drug Register, the Patient Register and the National Diabetes Register. 187,000 patients with type 2 diabetes, who were followed for an average of 5 years. is covered by it
The principal difference between this study and the studies on which the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare based its recommendations is that patients who already suffered from serious disorders were not included in the new study.
There is certainly a natural explanation because of this.
"If patients with disorders that can make low blood pressure are also contained in a study, the general interpretation might be that low blood pressure results in more cardiovascular disease," said Staffan Björck.
Not the only ones affected by the revised blood pressure goals. they although there are around 300,000 patients with diabetes in Sweden, but Both American and European expert organizations have raised the recommended target for systolic blood pressure to below 140 mm Hg. It's important for discussions of blood pressure goals, both, as the new study is considerably larger than all previous studies on this issue.
