Purpose: We examined the effect of a high-target mean arterial pressure (MAP) on septic shock in a previously underrepresented region.
Methods: A multicentre, pragmatic, open-label, randomised controlled trial was conducted in 29 hospitals in Japan, where the prevalence of chronic hypertension among older individuals is 66.9%. Patients who were diagnosed with septic shock, aged ≥ 65 years, and admitted to an intensive care unit were randomised 1:1 to the high (target MAP = 80-85 mmHg) or control (target MAP = 65-70 mmHg) groups from 1 July 2021 to 12 December 2023. The target MAP was maintained for 72 h or until vasopressors were no longer required. The primary outcome was the 90-day all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes included organ support-free days and adverse events.
Results: The trial was terminated early on the basis of the interim analysis results, suggesting the harm of the high-target strategy. Of the 518 patients, 258 were in the high-target group, and 260 were in the control group. By 90 days after randomisation, 101 patients (39.3%) in the high-target group and 74 (28.6%) in the control group had died from any cause (risk difference = 10.7; 95% confidence interval, 2.6-18.9). Renal replacement therapy-free days at 28 days were shorter in the high-target group. No clinical benefits for any outcome were observed in any subpopulation, including those with known chronic hypertension.
Conclusion: Among older patients with septic shock, high-target MAP significantly increased mortality compared with standard care.
Trial registration: UMIN Clinical Trials Registry; UMIN000041775; 13 September 2020.
Keywords: Clinical trial; Critical care; Emergency medicine; Geriatrics; Septic shock.
© 2025. The Author(s).