High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is one of the most common health problems in the world. It often develops slowly and usually has no clear symptoms, which is why it is sometimes called the ‘silent killer.’
Many people do not know they have high blood pressure until it has already damaged their heart, brain, kidneys, or blood vessels. If it is not treated, high blood pressure greatly increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, kidney disease, and early death.
Blood pressure is measured with two numbers. The top number, called systolic blood pressure, measures the pressure inside the arteries when the heart pumps blood. The bottom number, called diastolic blood pressure, measures the pressure when the heart rests between beats.
For many years, doctors have used different blood pressure targets depending on a person’s age and health. Scientists continue to study whether lowering blood pressure even further could provide extra protection for people at high risk of heart disease.
A large new study from China, called the Effective Systolic Pressure Reduction Intervention Trial (ESPRIT), explored this important question. The researchers compared two treatment goals.
One group aimed to lower systolic blood pressure to less than 120 mm Hg, while the other group followed the more common target of less than 140 mm Hg. The scientists wanted to learn whether more intensive blood pressure control could reduce serious heart and blood vessel problems without causing too many side effects.
The results were encouraging. People who reached the lower blood pressure target experienced 12% fewer major cardiovascular events than those treated to the standard goal.
These events included heart attacks, strokes, hospital stays for heart failure, procedures to open blocked arteries, and deaths caused by heart disease. This shows that lowering blood pressure more aggressively may help protect the heart and blood vessels from long-term damage.
One of the most impressive findings was the reduction in deaths caused by heart disease. People in the intensive treatment group had a 39% lower risk of dying from heart-related causes. This suggests that tighter blood pressure control may save many lives among people who have a higher chance of developing cardiovascular disease.
The benefits extended beyond heart disease alone. The researchers found that participants aiming for the lower blood pressure target also had a 21% lower risk of dying from any cause during the study period. This means that better blood pressure control may improve overall health and help people live longer.
Safety was also carefully examined. The researchers monitored serious side effects, including dangerously low blood pressure, problems with body salt levels, kidney injury, and falls. These complications were not much more common in the intensive treatment group.
Fainting happened slightly more often, but it remained uncommon. The findings suggest that, when carefully supervised by healthcare professionals, intensive blood pressure treatment can be safe for many patients.
Even with these promising results, experts say people should never try to lower their blood pressure on their own by changing or increasing medicines without medical advice. The best treatment depends on a person’s age, overall health, and other medical conditions.
Doctors may recommend lifestyle changes such as eating less salt, following a healthy diet, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, avoiding smoking, limiting alcohol, managing stress, and taking prescribed medicines as directed.
The ESPRIT study adds to growing evidence that tighter blood pressure control may provide extra protection for many people who are at high risk of heart disease.
Although treatment should always be tailored to each individual, the findings offer hope that better blood pressure management could prevent thousands of heart attacks, strokes, and early deaths in the future.
If you care about high blood pressure, please read studies that early time-restricted eating could help improve blood pressure, and natural coconut sugar could help reduce blood pressure and artery stiffness.
For more health information, please see recent studies about added sugar in your diet linked to higher blood pressure, and results showing vitamin D could improve blood pressure in people with diabetes.
The research was published in the journal Nature Medicine.
Copyright © 2026 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
