Journal of Hypertension: Open Access

Objectives: The Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) identified that a systolic blood pressure (SBP) target <120 mm Hg, compared to <140 mm Hg, was associated with reduced cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. This study aimed to assess the prevalence, number and characteristics of Chinese adults aged ≥50 years who meet SPRINT eligibility criteria. Furthermore, we also made a  comparison between using Framingham risk score and Chinese function to identify the number of SPRINT-eligible individuals.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, population-based survey using data from the 2012-2015 national survey on hypertension in China. After excluding participants without BP measurements, physical and laboratory examinations, 20,137 participants aged 50 years or older were selected for final analysis.
Results: Using Framingham criteria, 96.3 million (95% confidence interval (CI): 93.5-99.1 million) or 29.7% (95% CI: 27.9%-31.5%) of Chinese adults met the SPRINT eligibility criteria. The percentages meeting SPRINT eligibility criteria were higher among older age (aged ≥75 years), men, living in rural areas and SBP of ≥140 mmHg. Among those with treated and untreated hypertension, 44.2% (95% CI: 38.7%-49.7%) or 24.5 million (95% CI: 23.0-26.1 million), and 26.7% (95% CI: 24.8%-28.7%) or 71.8 million (95% CI: 69.4-74.1 million) respectively met SPRINT eligibility criteria. However, using the Chinese function, only 44.5 million (95% CI: 42.9-46.2 million) or 13.7% (95% CI: 11.6%-16.2%) met the eligibility criteria of SPRINT.
Conclusions: A considerable percentage of Chinese adults aged ≥50 years meet the eligibility criteria of SPRINT. Further clinical studies are needed to test the feasibility, applicability and potential impact of SPRINT hypertension treatment goal for adults aged 50 years or older in China.