Home Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients During Antihypertensive Therapy Primary Results of HONEST, a Large-Scale Prospective, Real-World Observational Study

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between on-treatment morning home blood pressure (HBP) and incidence of cardiovascular events using data from the Home Blood Pressure Measurement With Olmesartan Naive Patients to Establish Standard Target Blood Pressure (HONEST) study, a prospective observational study of 21 591 outpatients with essential hypertension (mean age, 64.9 years; women, 50.6%) enrolled between 2009 and 2010 at clinics and hospitals in Japan. They received olmesartan-based treatment throughout. The primary end point was major cardiovascular events. After a mean follow-up period of 2.02 years, cardiovascular events occurred in 280 patients (incidence, 6.46/1000 patient-years). The risk for the primary end point was significantly higher in patients with on-treatment morning HBP >= 145 to <155 mm Hg (hazard ratio [HR], 1.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12-2.99) and >= 155 mm Hg (HR, 5.03; 95% CI, 3.05-8.31) than <125 mm Hg and with on-treatment clinic blood pressure >= 150 to <160 mm Hg (HR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.10-2.60) and >= 160 mm Hg (HR, 4.38; 95% CI, 2.84-6.75) than <130 mm Hg. Morning HBP associated with minimum risk was 124 mm Hg by spline regression analysis. Cardiovascular risk was increased in patients with morning HBP >= 145 mm Hg and clinic blood pressure <130 mm Hg (HR, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.20-5.08) compared with morning HBP <125 mm Hg and clinic blood pressure <130 mm Hg. In conclusion, it is essential to control morning HBP to <145 mm Hg, even in patients with controlled clinic blood pressure.