A new study has revealed that reducing blood pressure below the standard target may not offer any benefits.

Researchers at the University of Costa Rica have found that using antihypertensive drugs to reduce blood pressure below the 140/90 mm Hg does not really reduce death rates or serious morbidity.

"At present there is no evidence from randomized trials to support aiming for a blood pressure target lower than 140/90, in the general population of patients with elevated blood pressure," said lead researcher Jose Arguedas of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Costa Rica in Costa Rica.

The Cochrane review has cast doubts on the guidelines recommending for lower targets, based on the assumption that "lower is better" when it comes to blood pressure.

The researchers reviewed seven trials, which together involved 22,089 people.

While patients aiming for targets below 135/85 mmHg did succeed in achieving greater reductions in blood pressure than those in the standard target group, there was no difference between the two groups in terms of the number of patients dying or suffering heart attacks, strokes, heart failure or kidney failure.

"Our research included patients with diabetes or chronic renal disease, and the evidence was slightly less robust for those subgroups of patients,” said Arguedas.

“We intend to carry out separate systematic reviews for those subgroups, especially because guidelines recommend even lower blood pressure targets for them" he added.