J curve confirmed for diastolic BP, heart risks study of 22,000 patients.(News)

NEW ORLEANS -- The J-shaped curve for diastolic blood pressure is real, Dr. Franz H. Messerli said at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology, based on data collected from more than 22,000 patients in a major hypertension treatment trial.

Past research results gave some hints, but no clear-cut proof, that as blood pressure falls below a certain minimal level, myocardial perfusion becomes compromised, leading to a spike of death and MI. The J-shaped curve refers to a line-plot of mortality versus blood pressure that's shaped like a J with its short and long ends tilted to the left and right, respectively. Mortality falls linearly as blood pressure …