A 2-year, sustained mean blood pressure of 130-139/80-89 mm Hg — now considered the threshold for stage 1 hypertension by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association — is associated with a 73% higher risk for atherosclerotic vascular events among patients with lupus, according to data published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases.
“The recently published guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension in adults by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) recommended a significantly lower threshold of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP) for diagnosis,” Konstantinos Tselios, MD, PhD, of the University of Toronto Lupus Clinic, and colleagues wrote. “The levels of 130-139mm Hg for SBP and 80-89mm Hg for DBP are now considered as stage 1 hypertension, in contrast to the previous recommendations in which hypertension was defined as BP 140/90mm Hg.”
Few AIM-listed drug development companies have late-stage clinical assets in the pipeline, ImmuPharma plc (LON:IMM) is an exception. The Company’s lead compound, Lupuzor™, a potential treatment for Lupus, has completed Phase 3 trial of dosing patients across the US, Europe and Mauritius with top line results announced.
