Intensive blood pressure control appears to be effective and safe in patients with peripheral artery disease: the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial

High blood pressure (BP) is the strongest modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and is highly prevalent among individuals with peripheral artery disease (PAD).1–3 While patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular conditions experience considerable morbidity and mortality, the risk is particularly high among those with PAD.4 Data regarding the effects of strict BP goals in the setting of PAD are lacking. We leveraged data from the randomized, controlled, open-label Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) to assess whether the benefits and potential risks of intensive BP control extended to patients with PAD and whether baseline PAD modified treatment effect.5 The full SPRINT clinical data set was acquired from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s Biologic Specimen and Data Repository Information Coordination Center. A waiver for secondary data use was granted by the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Institutional Review Board. In SPRINT, 9361 high-risk individuals without diabetes or prior...