The results from two Hot Line trials presented at ESC Congress 2026 hold promise for patients with high blood pressure (BP) at risk of dementia, and for patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia.
In the community-based China Rural Hypertension Control Program (CHRCP) trial, an intensive BP-lowering intervention reduced the incidence of dementia by 15% compared with usual care.
Previous results from the CHRCP showed that a community-delivered intensive BP intervention reduced both BP and cardiovascular events. In this new analysis, the intensive BP intervention also resulted in the significant reduction in dementia over seven years, as well as a 13% lower risk of cognitive impairment and no dementia.
“In this large community-based trial, a scalable intervention delivered by non-physician health care providers not only resulted in substantial reductions in BP but also reduced the risk of dementia,” said Yingxian Sun, MD, from The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China. “These results support the long-term sustainability of integrating structured BP management into routine primary care for dementia prevention at the population level.”
In the SHASTA-3 and SHASTA-4 trials conducted across 24 countries, plozasiran delivered via subcutaneous injection every three months to patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia reduced triglyceride levels by roughly 80% after one year compared with placebo, according to study investigators. A significant reduction in acute pancreatitis events was also noted with plozasiran vs. placebo.
In presenting the findings, Gerald Watts, MD, from Australia, noted that currently available therapeutic approaches for severe hypertriglyceridemia are often insufficient to lower triglyceride levels and prevent acute pancreatitis. “Results from the SHASTA-3 and SHASTA-4 studies build on the positive results from other plozasiran trials across various patient populations, including those with the most severe form of hypertriglyceridemia, familial chylomicronemia syndrome,” he said. “These findings highlight the potential of plozasiran as a promising therapy for patients across the spectrum of severe hypertriglyceridemia.”
Visit ACC’s ESC Congress 2026 coverage page to explore the latest science and key takeaways shaping cardiovascular care.
Clinical Topics:
Diabetes and Cardiometabolic Disease, Dyslipidemia, Prevention, Hypertriglyceridemia, Lipid Metabolism, Hypertension, Sleep Apnea
Keywords:
ESC Congress, ESC26, Hypertriglyceridemia, Triglycerides, Apolipoprotein C-III, RNA, Small Interfering, Hypertension, Blood Pressure, Dementia, Cardiovascular Diseases, Risk Assessment