Lower blood pressure helps kidneys, heart

Sydney -- Lowering the blood pressure of stroke victims with chronic kidney disease protects them from further strokes or heart attacks, an Australian study found.

Given the high risk of cardiovascular complications in people with chronic kidney disease, the findings have significant implications for millions of people worldwide, said Dr. Vlado Perkovic of The George Institute in Sydney.

"People with chronic kidney disease are at a significantly greater risk of cardiovascular events than those without the disease," Perkovic said in a statement.

"We found that approximately twice as many cardiovascular events were prevented when a perindopril based blood pressure lowering regimen was used in these people, compared to people with normal kidney function."

The findings are based on data of 1,800 patients who were part of a large clinical trial conducted on blood pressure and stroke.

The findings are published in the Journal of American Society of Nephrology.

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