Table 2. The benefits and harms of intensive versus moderate diastolic blood pressure control in adults with diabetes mellitus and arterial hypertension.

Outcome	Risk with intervention/comparator per 1,000	Attributable avoided events per 1,000 treated (95% CI)	Relative measure of association; number needed to treat (95% CI)	No. of participants (studies)
All-cause mortality**	45/71	NS	RR: 0.63 (0.38–1.05)	1,971 (2 RCTs) (28,29,40)
Cardiovascular mortality**	27/44	NS	RR: 0.63 (0.39–1.03)	1,971 (2 RCTs) (28,29,40)
Congestive heart failure*	38/39	NS	RR: 0.98 (0.40–2.43)	470 (1 RCT) (28,40)
Major cardiovascular events, DBP ≤80*	44/90	Avoided 46 [15–77]	RR: 0.49 (0.30–0.80); NNTp: 22 [13–67]#	1,000 (1 RCT) (29)
Major cardiovascular events, DBP ≤85*	68/90	NS	RR: 0.76 (0.49–1.16)	1,002 (1 RCT) (29)
Any cardiovascular event*	63/60	NS	RR: 1.05 (0.52–2.13)	470 (1 RCT) (28,41)
Myocardial infarction*	25/38	NS	RR: 0.78 (0.38–1.61)	1,971 (2 RCTs) (28,40)
Stroke**	27/35	NS	RR: 0.81 (0.49–1.33)	1,971 (2 RCTs) (28,29,40)
Neuropathy progression*	400/310	Excessive 92 [6–178]	RR: 1.30 (1.01–1.66); NNT: 11 [6–174]†	470 (1 RCT) (28)
Retinopathy progression*	300/340	NS	RR: 0.88 (0.68–1.15)	470 (1 RCT) (28)

Population: adults with diabetes and elevated arterial blood pressure (DBP ≥90 mmHg); Settings: outpatient; Intervention: intensive blood pressure control (DBP ≤75–85 mmHg); Comparator: moderate blood pressure control (DBP goal 80–90 mmHg). ^#, favors lower blood pressure target; ^†, favors higher blood pressure target; *, very low quality evidence; **, low quality evidence. CI, confidence interval; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; GRADE, Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation; NNT, number needed to treat; NNTp, number needed to treat to prevent an outcome in one patient; RCT, randomized controlled trial; RR, relative risk.