Limited benefits from pharmacotherapy for hypertension in people aged under 60

Treatment had little or no effect on death from any cause compared with placebo or no treatment (2.4% with placebo/no treatment versus 2.3% with treatment; low-quality evidence), and it reduced the number of people experiencing heart disease or death from heart disease, from 4.1% to 3.2% (low-quality evidence). It reduced stroke by a small amount from 1.3% to 0.6% (low-quality evidence). There was uncertainty about the effects of treatment on the number of people who had blocked arteries (low-quality evidence). There was a lack of good evidence on withdrawal due to adverse events. The average duration of treatment was five years. Medicine classes studied in most people included thiazides and beta-blockers.