Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: A Randomized, 32 Week Double-blind, Parallel-group, Multicenter Study to Compare the Efficacy and Safety of Initiating Treatment With Combination (Aliskiren/Amlodipine) Therapy in Comparison With the Sequential add-on Treatment Strategies in Patients With Essential Hypertension
Brief Summary: This study will compare the safety and efficacy of initial combination treatment with aliskiren + amlodipine to sequential add-on treatment strategies with aliskiren or amlodipine in patients with hypertension.


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

Coronary Artery Disease: Previous Myocardial infarction(\> 2 days prior to informed consent), or stable or previous unstable angina (\> 30 days prior to informed consent) with documented multivessel coronary artery disease or a positive stress test, or multivessel Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (\> 30 days prior to informed consent), or previous multivessel Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting without angina (if surgery performed \> 4 years prior to informed consent) or with recurrent angina after surgery.

Other High Risk:

1. Peripheral Arterial Disease: Previous limb bypass surgery or angioplasty or amputation, intermittent claudication on history with ankle/arm Blood Pressure ratio \< 0.8 on at least one side, or significant stenosis by angiography or non-invasive testing
2. Previous stroke
3. Transient ischemic Attack \> 7 days and \< 1 year prior to informed consent
4. Diabetes Mellitus (types I or II): with evidence of end-organ damage (retinopathy, Left ventricular hypertrophy, micro or macro albuminuria), or any evidence of previous cardiac or vascular disease.

No definite and specific indication or contraindication for any of the study treatments. Written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

A. Medication use:

1. Inability to discontinue Angiotension Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or Angiotension 2 receptor antagonists (AIIAs).
2. Patients with known hypersensitivity or intolerance to Angiotension 2 receptor antagonists (AIIAs) or Angiotension Converting Enzyme (ACE)inhibitors.

NOTE: Patients with known intolerance to Angiotension Converting Enzyme inhibitor intolerance ( ACE-I) can be enrolled in the TRANSCEND study.

B. Cardiovascular disease:

1. Symptomatic congestive heart failure.
2. Hemodynamically significant primary valvular or outflow tract obstruction (e.g. aortic or mitral valve stenosis, asymmetric septal hypertrophy, malfunctioning prosthetic valve).
3. Constrictive pericarditis.
4. Complex congenital heart disease.
5. Syncopal episodes of unknown etiology \< 3 months before informed consent.
6. Planned cardiac surgery or angioplasty within three months.
7. Uncontrolled hypertension on treatment (i.e.Blood pressure ( BP) \> 160/100).
8. Heart transplant recipient.
9. Strokes due to subarachnoid hemorrhage

C. Other conditions:

1. Significant renal disease defined as:

   1. Renal artery stenosis;
   2. Creatinine clearance \< 0.6 ml/min or serum creatinine \> 265 umol/L (\> 3.0 mg/dL);
   3. Hyperkalemia: potassium \> 5.5 mmol/L.
   4. Proteinuria\* (for TRANSCEND only).
2. Hepatic dysfunction as defined by the following laboratory parameters: Serum Glutamate Pyruvate Transaminase( SGPT) Alaninaminotransferase (ALT) or Serum Glutamic Oxaloacetic Transaminase (SGOT) Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) \> than 4 times upper limit of normal or additional criteria for hepatic impairment the upper limit of normal range, total Bilirubin \> 20 umol/L, biliary obstructive disorders.
3. Uncorrected volume depletion or sodium depletion.
4. Primary aldosteronism.
5. Hereditary fructose intolerance.
6. Any other major non-cardiac illness expected to reduce life expectancy or interfere with study participation.
7. Patient is simultaneously taking another experimental drug.
8. Patient with significant disability that precludes regular attendance at clinic for follow-up.
9. Patient has sufficient disability or other incapacity that precludes regular attendance at clinic for follow-up.
10. Unable or unwilling to provide written informed consent.
B: Inclusion Criteria:

* Male or female outpatients ≥ 18 years of age
* Participants with essential hypertension:

  * Naive participants must have a mean sitting Systolic Blood Pressure (msSBP) ≥ 150 mmHg and \< 180 mmHg at Visit 1 and Visit 2. (Participants are considered 'naïve' if they have never been treated with any antihypertensive medication.)
  * All participants must have a msSBP ≥ 150 mmHg and \< 180 mmHg at Visit 2
* Written informed consent to participate in this study prior to any study procedures

Exclusion Criteria:

* Severe hypertension
* Pregnant or nursing (lactating) women
* Pre-menopausal women not taking accepted form of birth control
* Serum potassium ≥ 5.5 mEq/L (mmol/L) at Visit 1
* History of cardiovascular conditions
* Uncontrolled Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes mellitus
* Hypersensitivity to renin inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, or to drugs with similar chemical structures

Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply.
C: Inclusion Criteria:

* Age ≥ 40 years
* History of diabetes mellitus type 2 for at least three months with stable antidiabetic treatment
* Systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 135 or 85 mmHg, respectively. In alternative, antihypertensive therapy regardless of blood pressure values
* Serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dL
* Urinary albumin excretion rate \< 200 µg/min
* Written informed consent for the trial participation.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Clinical or histological evidence of non-diabetic renal disease, including vascular disease of the kidney, obstructive uropathy, prostatic hypertrophy or incomplete bladder emptying
* Transplanted kidney
* Moderate to severe chronic heart failure (III-IV stage according to the NYHA classification).
* Cerebral hemorrhage, stroke or transient ischemic attack within three months prior to the trial enrolment
* Myocardial infarction within three months prior to the trial enrolment
* Unstable angina pectoris
* Mitral valve stenosis, aortic stenosis or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
* Secondary (e.g., Cushing disease, phaeochromocytoma, etc.) or severe refractory hypertension
* Poor glycemic control (HbA1c\>11%)
* Connective tissue or autoimmune disease
* Hereditary angioneurotic edema
* Clinically relevant electrolyte imbalance (e.g., serum potassium \> 5.5 mmol/L)
* Clinically relevant hematological disorders
* Anemia with hemoglobin concentrations \< 10 g/dL
* Serious hepatic disease
* Pregnancy or lactating or planning a pregnancy
* Women of childbearing potential without following a scientifically accepted form of contraception
* Any other serious or terminal concomitant disease
* Any condition which may interfere with the absorption of the study treatments
* Any concomitant treatment with ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II blockers, calcium channel blockers, potassium sparing diuretics
* Chronic treatment with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, antidepressants and neuroleptics, lithium, cimetidine, immunosuppressive and/or antineoplastic drugs, chronic systemic glucocorticoid therapy more than 7 consecutive days in one month, antiarrhythmic drugs (e.g., chinidin, procainamide), anesthetics/narcotics
* History of hypersensitivity to delapril or other ACE inhibitors, manidipine or other dihydropyridine CCBs
* Legal incapacity and/or other circumstances rendering the patient unable to understand the nature, scope and possible consequences of the trial
* Evidence of an uncooperative attitude
* Any evidence that allows predicting that the patient will not be able to complete the trial follow-up.
D: Inclusion Criteria:

* At least 55 years of age.
* Previously untreated or treated hypertension.
* For patients \>= 60 years, evidence of at least one CV disease or target organ damage, or for patients 55-59 years evidence of at least two CV diseases or target organ damage from two different organ systems as defined in the protocol.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Allergy to any of the drugs administered in this trial.
* Current angina pectoris (ie, no anginal event requiring NTG within 1 month prior to Visit 1).
* Secondary hypertension.
* Refractory hypertension defined as SBP \>= 180 mmHg and/or DBP \>= 110 mmHg unresponsive to triple-drug regimens of sympatholytics, diuretics and vasodilators.
* History of symptomatic heart failure (NYHA classes II-IV) or ejection fraction \< 40%.
* Myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization (CABG or PCI), unstable angina within one month of Visit 1.
* Stroke or transient ischemic event (TIA) within 3 months of Visit 1.
* Significant obstructive valvular cardiovascular disease or any valvular disease expected to lead to surgery during the course of the study.
* Evidence of hepatic disease (AST or ALT values \>= 2 X upper limit of normal).
* Impaired renal function (serum creatinine \>= 2.5 mg/dL (221 µmol/L)).
* Baseline serum potassium of \> 5.2 meq/L not on potassium supplements.
* History of malignancy including leukemia and lymphoma (but not basal cell skin cancer) within the last 5 years.
* History of clinically significant auto immune disorders such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.
* Significant non-cardiovascular illness or condition likely to result in death prior to trial completion, e.g., major organ transplant (life expectancy \<5 years).
* Significant cardiovascular disease such as an aortic aneurysm ≥ 6 cm, likely requiring surgical intervention during the course of the study.

Other protocol-defined exclusion criteria applied to the study.

Answer: B