Relation of Baseline Systolic Blood Pressure and Long-Term Outcomes in Ambulatory Patients With Chronic Mild to Moderate Heart Failure

We studied the impact of baseline systolic blood pressure (SBP) on outcomes in patients with mild to moderate chronic systolic and diastolic heart failure (HF) in the Digitalis Investigation Group trial using a propensity-matched design. Of 7,788 patients, 7,785 had baseline SBP data and 3,538 had SBP ≤120 mm Hg. Propensity scores for SBP ≤120 mm Hg, calculated for each of the 7,785 patients, were used to assemble a matched cohort of 3,738 patients with SBP ≤120 and >120 mm Hg who were well-balanced in 32 baseline characteristics. All-cause mortality occurred in 35% and 32% of matched patients with SBPs ≤120 and >120 mm Hg respectively, during 5 years of follow-up (hazard ratio [HR] when SBP ≤120 was compared to >120 mm Hg 1.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.99 to 1.23, p = 0.088). HRs for cardiovascular and HF mortalities associated with SBP ≤120 mm Hg were 1.15 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.30, p = 0.031) and 1.30 (95% CI 1.08 to 1.57, p = 0.006). Cardiovascular hospitalization occurred in 53% and 49% of matched patients with SBPs ≤120 and >120 mm Hg, respectively (HR 1.13, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.24, p = 0.008). HRs for all-cause and HF hospitalizations associated with SBP ≤120 mm Hg were 1.10 (95% CI 1.02 to 1.194, p = 0.017) and 1.21 (95% CI 1.07 to 1.36, p = 0.002). In conclusion, in patients with mild to moderate long-term systolic and diastolic HF, baseline SBP ≤120 mm Hg was associated with increased cardiovascular and HF mortalities and all-cause, cardiovascular, and HF hospitalizations that was independent of other baseline characteristics.