What evidence did Xie et al. find in their meta-analysis about the absolute benefits of lowering systolic blood pressure (SBP)?
In their meta-analysis of 21 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), Xie et al. concluded that the absolute benefits of lowering SBP were greater and the number-needed-to-treat (NNT) was smaller in trials where all enrolled patients had vascular disease, diabetes, or kidney disease. On-treatment BP averaged 133/76 mm Hg on intensive treatment and 140/81 mm Hg on less-intensive treatment. Outcomes in patients with and without albuminuria at baseline were not reported separately.