Participants were required to meet all the following criteria: an age of at least 50 years, a systolic blood pressure of 130 to 180 mm Hg (see the Supplementary Appendix), and an increased risk of cardiovascular events. Increased cardiovascular risk was defined by one or more of the following: clinical or subclinical cardiovascular disease other than stroke; chronic kidney disease, excluding polycystic kidney disease, with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 20 to less than 60 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area, calculated with the use of the four-variable Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation; a 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease of 15% or greater on the basis of the Framing-ham risk score; or an age of 75 years or older. Patients with diabetes mellitus or prior stroke were excluded. Detailed inclusion and exclusion criteria are listed in the Supplementary Appendix. All participants provided written informed consent.