Gronewold J, Kropp R, Lehmann N, et al. - Researchers investigated 3,555 individuals who took part in the population-based Heinz Nixdorf Recall study without prior cardiovascular disease (mean ± SD; age, 58.9 ± 7.6 years, 46.9% men), to assess how cardiovascular risk and atherosclerosis progression are related to blood pressure, antihypertensive treatment, and therapy efficacy. The links of baseline antihypertensive therapy efficacy (normotension without antihypertensives, normotension with antihypertensives, hypertension without antihypertensives, hypertension with antihypertensives, based on 140/90 mmHg cutoffs) with incident coronary artery calcification (CAC) and CAC progression was assessed during 5-year-follow-up and with incident cardiovascular events was evaluated during 13.5-year-follow-up. An increased stroke, coronary, and cardiovascular risk, and increased baseline CAC, but not increased CAC progression, was detected in normotensives with antihypertensives vs normotensives without antihypertensives. Overall, an elevated cardiovascular risk was observed in normotensives with antihypertensives. These people had increased baseline CAC but did not exhibit increased CAC progression.