FIGURE 1.

Meta‐analysis of antihypertensive drug effects on long‐term BPV. (A) Change in group variation in SBP at follow‐up compared with baseline as variance ratio. (B) Percentage increase in coefficient of variation. Error bars represent the 95% confidence intervals. A is plotted on a logarithmic scale. The apparent increase in variance ratio and coefficient of variation (CV) from baseline to follow‐up was mainly a consequence of the requirement in many trials for narrow ranges of BP at randomization, which tended to lead to an increase in group standard deviation on follow‐up; however, this effect applied almost equally to all drug classes. AB, α−1 blocker; ACEI, angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor; ARB, angiotensin‐2‐receptor blocker; BB, β‐blocker; CCB, calcium channel blocker; CCBND, non‐dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker; DD, non‐loop diuretic drug. Reprinted with permission from Webb. ⁴⁹