Comparison 1. Antihypertensive drug therapy versus control.

Outcome or subgroup title	No. of studies	No. of participants	Statistical method	Effect size
1 All‐cause mortality	5	16776	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.94 [0.77, 1.13]
2 Cardiovascular mortality plus morbidity overall	6	17278	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.78 [0.67, 0.91]
3 Cerebrovascular mortality plus morbidity	6	17278	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.46 [0.34, 0.64]
4 Coronary heart disease mortality plus morbidity	4	16241	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	0.99 [0.82, 1.19]
5 Withdrawal due to adverse events	3	1223	Risk Ratio (M‐H, Fixed, 95% CI)	4.82 [1.67, 13.92]
6 Decrease in systolic blood pressure	3	14845	Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	‐14.98 [‐20.44, ‐9.52]
7 Decrease in diastolic blood pressure	4	15857	Mean Difference (IV, Random, 95% CI)	‐7.62 [‐10.55, ‐4.69]