Background The 2017 American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines lowered the threshold of blood pressure (BP) for hypertension to 130/80 mm Hg. However, the clinical significance of isolated diastolic hypertension (IDH) according to the cutoff value of the 2017 ACC/AHA guidelines was uncertain. Methods and Results We analyzed the claims database of Japan Medical Data Center (a nationwide epidemiological database). We excluded individuals who were aged <20 years, had systolic hypertension, were taking antihypertensive medication, or had prevalent cardiovascular disease, and studied 1 746 493 individuals (mean age, 42.9±10.7 years; 961 097 men [55.0%]). The average observational period was 1107±855 days. Stage 1 IDH, defined as diastolic BP 80 to 89 mm Hg, and stage 2 IDH, defined as diastolic BP ≥90 mm Hg, were found in 230 513 (13.2%) and 16 159 (0.9%) individuals, respectively. Compared with individuals with normal diastolic BP, individuals with stage 1 and stage 2 IDH were older and more likely to be men. Prevalence of classic risk factors was higher in patients with IDH. Kaplan–Meier curves showed that stage 1 and stage 2 IDH were associated with a higher incidence of cardiovascular events, defined as myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, and stroke. Multivariable analysis showed that stage 1 (hazard ratio [HR], 1.17) and stage 2 (HR, 1.28) IDH were independently associated with a higher incidence of cardiovascular events. Subgroup analyses showed that the association of IDH with cardiovascular events was seen irrespective of age and sex. Conclusions The analysis of a nationwide epidemiological database showed that IDH based on the cutoff value in the 2017 ACC/AHA BP guidelines was associated with an elevated risk of subsequent cardiovascular events.

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Background: Although the aged population is increasing in developed countries, clinical evidence on super-elderly heart failure (HF) patients is scarce. This study determined the characteristics and outcomes of Japanese hospitalized super-elderly HF patients (aged ≥90 years) using a nationwide inpatient database. Methods and Results: A comprehensive analysis was performed of 447,818 HF patients in the Diagnosis Procedure Combination database who were hospitalized and discharged between January 2010 and March 2018. Among the study population, 243,028 patients (54.3%) were aged ≥80 years and 64,628 patients (14.4%) were aged ≥90 years. The percentage of elderly patients increased over time. Elderly patients were more likely to be female and had a higher New York Heart Association functional class at admission. Invasive and advanced procedures were rarely performed, whereas infectious complications were more common in patients with older age. Length of hospital stay and in-hospital mortality increased with age. Multivariable logistic regression analysis fitted with a generalized estimating equation showed higher in-hospital mortality in patients aged ≥80 and ≥90 years (odds ratios 1.99 and 3.23, respectively) compared with those aged <80 years. Conclusions: The number of hospitalized super-elderly HF patients has increased, and these patients are associated with worse clinical outcomes. The results of this study may be useful in establishing an optimal management strategy for super-elderly HF patients in the era of HF pandemic.

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