Blood-pressure targets in patients with recent lacunar stroke: the SPS3 randomised trial

Lowering of blood pressure prevents stroke but optimum target levels to prevent recurrent stroke are unknown. We investigated the effects of different blood-pressure targets on the rate of recurrent stroke in patients with recent lacunar stroke.

In this randomised open-label trial, eligible patients lived in North America, Latin America, and Spain and had recent, MRI-defined symptomatic lacunar infarctions. Patients were recruited between March, 2003, and April, 2011, and randomly assigned, according to a two-by-two multifactorial design, to a systolic-blood-pressure target of 130—149 mm Hg or less than 130 mm Hg. The primary endpoint was reduction in all stroke (including ischaemic strokes and intracranial haemorrhages). Analysis was done by intention to treat. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT 00059306.  Read more