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Updated: Jan 21, 2026

In Silico Clinical Trials for Cardiovascular Disease
Published on: May 27, 2022
Cardiovascular outcomes under hypothetical blood-pressure-lowering intervention in type 2 diabetes: A target trial
Xue Tian1,2,3,4, Shouling Wu5, Xue Xia1,2,3,4
1Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Aims:
The effective target for systolic blood pressure (SBP) control in patients with diabetes was inconsistent. We evaluated the emulated effect of maintaining SBP below clinical thresholds on the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality.
Materials And Methods:
This study included 4264 patients with type 2 diabetes from the Kailaun study. We implemented the parametric g-formula to simulate the hypothetical interventions on reducing SBP below 140, 130 and 120 mmHg over time, accounting for time-varying confounding, reporting risk ratio (RR) and number needed to treat (NNT) for 10-year risk of CVD and all-cause mortality.
Results:
Maintaining SBP below 140, 130 and 120 mmHg was associated with an 18%, 24%, and 31% relative risk reduction in the risk of CVD, with the RR (95% confidence interval [CI]) of 0.82 (0.75-0.88), 0.76 (0.69-0.86), and 0.69 (0.58-0.84), and the NNT of 32, 24, and 19, respectively, compared to no intervention. However, the benefits in reducing the risk of all-cause mortality did not reach a significant level with maintaining SBP below 140 and 130 mmHg, with the RR (95% CI) of 0.98 (0.93-1.06) and 1.04 (0.95-1.12), respectively. The risk of all-cause mortality significantly increased 15% with maintaining SBP ≤120 mmHg (RR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.02-1.32). Subgroup analyses showed that maintaining SBP ≤120 mmHg tended to bring more harms than benefits in patients aged ≥60 years or without antihypertensive agents.
Conclusion:
Among Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes, maintaining SBP ≤120 mmHg may not be an optimal target, in terms of the risk-benefit association of CVD and all-cause mortality.
Insights
Lowering systolic blood pressure (SBP) below 120 mmHg in type 2 diabetes patients may increase mortality risk. While lower SBP targets reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, SBP ≤120 mmHg is not optimal for overall mortality in this population.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Endocrinology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Systolic blood pressure (SBP) control targets for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remain inconsistent.
- The risk-benefit profile of intensive SBP reduction on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality in T2DM is not fully elucidated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the emulated effect of maintaining SBP below specific clinical thresholds (140, 130, and 120 mmHg) on the risk of CVD and all-cause mortality in patients with T2DM.
- To determine the optimal SBP target for balancing CVD risk reduction and all-cause mortality in diabetic patients.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 4264 patients with T2DM from the Kailaun study was analyzed.
- The parametric g-formula was used to simulate hypothetical interventions for reducing SBP over time.
- Time-varying confounding was accounted for, and risk ratios (RR) and number needed to treat (NNT) for 10-year CVD and all-cause mortality risks were reported.
Main Results:
- Maintaining SBP below 140, 130, and 120 mmHg was associated with 18%, 24%, and 31% relative risk reductions in CVD, respectively.
- Significant benefits for all-cause mortality were not observed for SBP targets of 140 or 130 mmHg.
- Maintaining SBP ≤120 mmHg significantly increased all-cause mortality by 15% and showed potential harm in older patients or those not on antihypertensive medication.
Conclusions:
- For Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes, maintaining SBP ≤120 mmHg may not be an optimal target due to unfavorable risk-benefit associations concerning CVD and all-cause mortality.
- The findings suggest a need for individualized SBP targets in diabetic patients, considering potential risks of overly intensive blood pressure lowering.
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