There was no difference between the two groups in the primary composite end point (non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, or cardiovascular death). However, the lower systolic BP target was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of stroke (62 events with o140 mm Hg target vs. 36 events with o120 mm Hg target, P 0.01), a pre-specified second- ary end point, but also with a significant increase in rate of serious adverse events (30 events vs. 77 events, respectively; As compared with the group targeted to o140 mm Hg, the group targeted to o120 mm Hg had higher rates of hyperkalemia and elevations in SCr level. The mean GFR was significantly lower in the intensive-therapy (lower-target) group than in the standard-therapy group at the last visit. There were significantly more instances of a single GFR in the intensive-therapy group than in the standard-therapy group (99 events vs. 52 events, respectively; Po0.001), but the proportion of participants with more than one GFR reading o30 ml/ was similar in the two groups (38% vs. 32%, respectively; P 0.46). The frequency of macroalbuminuria at the final visit was significantly lower with intensive therapy than with standard therapy, and there was no between-group difference in the frequency of kidney failure or initiation of dialysis (in 58 patients vs. 59 patients, P 0.93).159 The ACCORD trial also showed that intensive glycemic control and combination lipid-lowering treatment, but not intensive BP control, was associated with a reduction in the rate of progression of retinopathy.224 Observational studies. 