Blood pressure control in diabetic kidney disease: a post-hoc analysis of the FANTASTIC trial

Cheol Ho Park1, Soon Jun Hong2, Sung Gyun Kim3

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Kidney Disease Research, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Clinical Hypertension
|July 31, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Strictly controlling blood pressure (BP) below 130 mmHg in diabetic kidney disease (DKD) patients did not lower cardiovascular/renal events. However, achieving a systolic BP of 130-139 mmHg was linked to reduced event risk.

Area of Science:

  • Nephrology
  • Cardiology
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • The optimal blood pressure (BP) target for diabetic kidney disease (DKD) remains uncertain.
  • This study evaluated the impact of strict BP control versus standard control on clinical outcomes in DKD patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the effect of a strict BP target (<130 mmHg) compared to a standard target (<140 mmHg) on cardiovascular and renal events in DKD patients.
  • To analyze the association between achieved BP levels and clinical outcomes post-hoc.

Main Methods:

  • A post-hoc analysis of the FANTASTIC trial (NCT02620306), a randomized phase III study.
  • 341 DKD patients were assigned to standard (<140 mmHg SBP) or strict (<130 mmHg SBP) BP control.
  • Outcomes included cardiovascular and renal events; analyses also considered achieved average SBP levels.

Main Results:

  • Mean SBP was similar in both groups (approx. 140 mmHg).
  • Strict BP control (<130 mmHg) did not significantly reduce cardiovascular/renal events (HR 1.32).
  • Achieved SBP of 130-139 mmHg was associated with reduced risk (HR 0.15), but further reduction (<130 mmHg) showed no additional benefit.

Conclusions:

  • Targeting SBP <130 mmHg did not improve outcomes compared to <140 mmHg in DKD patients.
  • Achieved SBP within the 130-139 mmHg range correlated with decreased cardiovascular/renal event risk.
Abstract

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