AHA Scientific Sessions 2026 AbstractNov 11, 2026, 00:14 GMT

Tighter blood pressure control helped a high-risk diabetes group

In the high-score group, intensive versus standard control reduced cardiovascular risk; the adjusted hazard ratio, comparing event rates over time, was 0.64.

Paper by Leonard Chiu, Kershaw V. Patel, Jude Suh, +7Ambarish Pandey · The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

A large intact heart cross-section sits beside a smaller gray heart with a dark damaged patch, with blood cells and small upright figures nearby.

Our read

Interventions

Studied:: Randomized trial in 3,326 adults with type 2 diabetes and hypertension, median 9.1 years
What changed:: Cardiovascular risk was lower with intensive versus standard blood pressure control in the high-score group (adjusted hazard ratio 0.64)
The catch:: The overall trial found no reduction in cardiovascular risk with intensive blood pressure control
In the record:: The 62nd paper on intensive blood pressure control with results in people; 85 on record in all.

Editor of record: Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News

Paper

Among 3,326 adults with type 2 diabetes and hypertension in an ancillary analysis of a randomized trial, the mean age was 62.6 years; 54.5% were women. A history of cardiovascular disease was present in 31.2%. Researchers grouped participants by a score based on blood tests and a recording of the heart’s electrical activity.

Intensive control targeted systolic blood pressure—the pressure when the heart beats—below 120 millimeters of mercury, versus below 140 with standard control. Over a median 9.1 years, higher scores were associated with greater risk of cardiovascular death, nonfatal heart attack or nonfatal stroke. Intensive control reduced this combined risk in the high-score group. It had no statistically significant effect in the low- or intermediate-score groups. The overall trial had not found lower cardiovascular risk with intensive control.

Why it matters

Preventing cardiovascular disease is important for healthy aging. The findings suggest that a score based on blood and heart measurements may help identify which adults with diabetes and hypertension benefit from stricter blood pressure targets.

Caveats

The score-defined benefit came from an ancillary analysis of an existing trial, rather than a test of score-guided care. The findings concern people with both type 2 diabetes and hypertension.