The j-point phenomenon in aggressive therapy of hypertension: new insights

Abstract

In the era of aggressive control of cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, the mantra of "lower is better" has taken a strong foothold. Although there is clear epidemiologic evidence that lower blood pressure improves specific organ-related outcomes, this rule does not apply to all patients and definitely not all target organs. The concept of J-curve or adverse outcomes at lower blood pressure has been proposed for more than three decades but has recently come under increasing scrutiny. Specifically, a relationship between adverse cardiovascular outcomes and low diastolic blood pressure has been observed in multiple clinical trials. In this article we review the advances in understanding of the J-curve phenomenon and include a discussion on specific populations that might be at higher risk due to the J-curve relationship.