SPRINT on clinical practice: It's time to change the management of arterial hypertension in Latin America?

Abstract

This paper analyzes the feasibility of the implementation of SPRINT trial results, the need to rethink the clinical practice guidelines(CPG) for the management of arterial hypertension and associated costs with daily practice applicability. SPRINT is a clinical trial comparing systolic blood pressure control <120mmHg and <140mmHg over cardiovascular complications, generating a great worldwide impact followed by publication of several studies that addressed relevance, usefulness, applicability and controversial aspects of SPRINT from different perspectives. Achieving blood pressure goals is one of the most discussed issue in widely used hypertension CPG around the world and in Latin American. SPRINT has generated and will generate a great impact on CPG, being necessary the reassessment of blood pressure goals and inclusion in future CPG, as has been considered in 2016 Canadian guideline and will be considered in NICE guideline update scheduled for June. The SPRINT trial raises new evidence for the management of hypertension, useful in people over 50 years, from urban populations, with defined cardiovascular risk without associated comorbidities. The applicability of SPRINT in Latin America is limited by increased costs associated with hypertensive patients' integrated health care, low care coverage, and lack of integrated care programs.