The ONTARGET/TRANSCEND Trial Programme: baseline data.

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Ramipril in this randomized controlled trial publication.

So-called "normal" levels of these factors are not biologically normal, so current strategy is based on estimations of a person's global cardiovascular risk, and then using appropriate combinations of treatments in higher-risk people.

The ONgoing Telmisartan Alone and in combination with Ramipril Global Endpoint Trial (ONTARGET) is designed to clarify whether an ARB (telmisartan), an ACE inhibitor (ramipril) or a combination of both confers blood pressure-independent cardioprotection in high-risk patients whose blood pressure is well controlled.

Who Took Part

According to the abstract, 25,620 patients were involved.

The age groups tagged for this paper are older adults, both men and women.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized and placebo-controlled study.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Ramipril and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

Some patients received a placebo instead of Ramipril, giving a reference point.

What Was Measured

So-called "normal" levels of these factors are not biologically normal, so current strategy is based on estimations of a person's global cardiovascular risk, and then using appropriate combinations of treatments in higher-risk people.

The ONgoing Telmisartan Alone and in combination with Ramipril Global Endpoint Trial (ONTARGET) is designed to clarify whether an ARB (telmisartan), an ACE inhibitor (ramipril) or a combination of both confers blood pressure-independent cardioprotection in high-risk patients whose blood pressure is well controlled.

The subject headings attached to it are Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers, Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors, Benzimidazoles, Benzoates, Cardiovascular Diseases, Hypertension and Ramipril.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized and placebo-controlled study of Ramipril in 25,620 patients.

With several hundred people or more, it is a fairly large study for this kind of research.

The publication is from 2005 (Acta diabetologica), a journal based in Germany.

More context: all human trials.