Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: An Eight Week, Double-blind, Randomized, Multicenter, Parallel Group, Active-controlled Study Comparing the Safety and Efficacy of Aliskiren 300 mg, 150 mg and 75 mg to Ramipril 5 mg in Patients With Essential Hypertension
Brief Summary: This study is designed to investigate the efficacy, safety and tolerability of aliskiren 300 mg, 150 mg and 75 mg when compared to ramipril 5 mg in patients with essential hypertension.


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

* You are 35 to 65 years of age
* In the past 14 days you have not been treated for hypertension
* In the past 14 days you have not taken more than 2 medications to treat high blood pressure
* You are a woman who is not able to have children or do not use birth control

Exclusion Criteria:

* You are taking more than 2 medications to treat high blood pressure
* You have a history of a stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA), heart attack, congestive heart failure, coronary artery bypass surgery
* You have Type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus
* You have an active liver disease, gallbladder disease, or bowel disease
* You are HIV positive
* You have certain types of cancer
* You abuse drug or alcohol
* You have participated in another clinical study in last 4 weeks
B: Inclusion Criteria:

* Patients must have msDBP ≥ 90 mmHg and \< 110 mmHg at the visit immediately prior to Visit 3
* Patients must have msDBP \>OR= 95 mmHg and \< 110 mmHg at Visit 3
* Patients must have an absolute difference of \< or =10 mmHg in their mean sitting diastolic blood pressure (msDBP) from Visit 2 to Visit 3

Exclusion Criteria:

* Severe hypertension (grade 3 WHO classification; msDBP \>or= 110 mmHg and/or msSBP \>or = 180 mmHg).
* History or evidence of a secondary form of hypertension.
* History of transient ischemic cerebral attack within 12 months of visit 1.
* Current angina pectoris requiring pharmacological therapy (other than those patients on a stable dose of oral or topical nitrates)
* Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes mellitus with glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) \> 8% at Visit 1.
* Known or suspected contraindications to the study medications, including history of allergy to ramipril or other ACE Inhibitors.

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

* Male or female outpatients, 50 years of age and older with a diagnosis of essential hypertension
* Successful high quality colonoscopy at baseline including visualization of the entire colon and the cecum as confirmed by a photograph and collection of the rectal and cecal mucosal biopsy samples
* All rectal, colon or cecal polyps found at baseline colonoscopy must be completely resected endoscopically at the time of the procedure.
* Patients who are eligible and able to participate in the study, and who consent to do so after the purpose and nature of the investigation have been clearly explained to them (written informed consent).

Exclusion Criteria:

* Previously treated in an aliskiren study.
* Current evidence of inflammatory bowel disease, the presence of colonic ulcerations (or other indices of colitis of any type) or colorectal carcinoma including carcinoma in situ found at baseline colonoscopy.
* History of gastrointestinal carcinoma, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, microscopic colitis.
* History of familial polyposis or hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer.
* History of confirmed diverticulitis within 12 months of Visit 1.
* History of celiac disease (gluten intolerance).
* History of or current evidence on the baseline colonoscopy of melanosis coli.
D: Inclusion Criteria:

* Outpatients \> 18 years
* Male or female patients. Female patients must have been either post-menopausal for one year, surgically sterile, or using effective contraceptive methods
* Patients with essential hypertension, previously treated with an antihypertensive single-drug therapy, either uncontrolled or intolerant.
* BP thresholds at visit 1:

  * For patients previously treated and uncontrolled: 140≤ office SBP\<180 mmHg
  * For patients previously treated, controlled but intolerant: office SBP≥130 mmHg
* BP thresholds at visit 2 (for all patients):

  * 160≤office SBP\<180 mmHg AND
  * 155≤home SBP\<175 mmHg (3-day period of home blood pressure monitoring just before randomization)

Exclusion Criteria:

* Women of child-bearing potential not using any effective methods of contraception
* Severe hypertension (office BP ≥ 180/110 mmHg)
* Impossibility to stop abruptly previous antihypertensive treatments at visit 1
* Patients previously untreated or patients treated with two or three antihypertensive medications
* History or evidence of a secondary form of hypertension
* History of hypersensitivity to ACEi or renin inhibitors
* History of heart failure, stroke or coronary heart disease
* Serum potassium ≥ 5.2 mmol/l

Other protocol-defined inclusion/exclusion criteria may apply

Answer: B