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

Background 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. Methods 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. Findings 3020 enrolled patients, 1519 in the higher-target group and 1501 in the lower-target group, were followed up for a mean of 3.7 (SD 2.0) years. Mean age was 63 (SD 11) years. After 1 year, mean systolic blood pressure was 138 mm Hg (95% CI 137-139) in the higher-target group and 127 mm Hg (95% CI 126-128) in the lower-target group. Non-significant rate reductions were seen for all stroke (hazard ratio 0.81, 95% CI 0.64-1.03, p=0.08), disabling or fatal stroke (0.81, 0.53-1.23, p=0.32), and the composite outcome of myocardial infarction or vascular death (0.84, 0.68-1.04, p=0.32) with the lower target. The rate of intracerebral haemorrhage was reduced significantly (0.37, 0.15-0.95, p=0.03). Treatment-related serious adverse events were infrequent. Interpretation Although the reduction in stroke was not significant, our results support that in patients with recent lacunar stroke, the use of a systolic-blood-pressure target of less than 130 mm Hg is likely to be beneficial.