Please select the eligibility criteria that correspond to the clinical trial below.
Title: ONTARGET ONgoing Telmisartan Alone and in Combination With Ramipril Global Endpoint Trial A Large, Simple Randomized Trial of an Angiotensin II Receptor Antagonist (Telmisartan) and an ACE-Inhibitor (Ramipril) in Patients at High Risk for Cardiovascular Events and TRANSCEND Telmisartan Randomized AssessmeNt Study in aCE iNtolerant Subjects With Cardiovascular Disease. A Parallel Study Comparing the Effects of Telmisartan With Placebo and Outcomes in Patients at High Risk for Cardiovascular Events and Intolerant to ACE-I.
Brief Summary: The Ongoing Telmisartan Alone and in combination wiht Ramipril Global Endpoint trial (ONTARGET): The primary objectives are to determine if (a) telmisartan 80mg daily and ramipril 10mg daily combination therapy is more effective in reducing the composite endpoint of Cardiovascular Death (CV) death, Myocardial infarction (MI), stroke or hospitalization for Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) compared with ramipril 10mg alone; and (b) telmisartan 80mg daily is at least as effective as (i.e. not less effective than) ramipril 10mg daily, on this endpoint.

Telmisartan Randomised Assessment Study in Angiotension converting Enzyme inhibitor intolerant subjects with Cardiovascular Disease. (TRANSCEND): The primary objective of the study is to determine if treatment with telmisartan 80mg daily is superior to placebo reducing the composite endpoint of Cardiovascular Death (CV), Myocardial Infarction ( MI)I, stroke or hospitalization for Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) in patients who are intolerant to Angiotension Converting Enzyme inhibitors.


Options:
A: Inclusion Criteria:

* Diagnosis/History of high blood pressure
* Male or Female age 45 years or older

Exclusion Criteria:

* History of stroke, transient ischemic attack or heart attack within the last 6 months
* A hospital admission for congestive heart failure within the last year
* Use of certain high blood pressure medications such as ACE inhibitors, Angiotensin Receptor Blockers or aldosterone antagonists or other agents that may work in the same pathway (RAAS) as valsartan within the past 3 months.

Other protocol-defined exclusion criteria may apply.
B: Inclusion Criteria:

* Aged 80 or older
* Sitting systolic BP 160-199 mmHg AND sitting diastolic BP \< 110 mmHg

Exclusion Criteria:

* Known accelerated hypertension (retinal haemorrhages or exudates or papilloedema).
* Overt clinical congestive heart failure requiring treatment with a diuretic or angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor. Subjects allowed if treated with digoxin only.
* Renal failure (serum creatinine of more than 150 µmol/l).
* Previous documented cerebral or subarachnoid haemorrhage in the last 6 months. (Ischaemic cerebral and cardiac events do not exclude, although the patient must be neurologically and cardiologically stable.)
* Condition expected to severely limit survival, e.g. terminal illness.
* Known secondary hypertension (e.g. renal artery stenosis, chronic renal insufficiency, and endocrine cause).
* Gout.
* Clinical diagnosis of dementia.
* Resident in a nursing home, i.e. where the dependency and care requirements of the patients are such that they require the regular input of qualified nurses and therefore the majority of staff in the home are nurses (other forms of residential care are acceptable).
* Unable to stand up or walk
* Participation in a drug trial within the past month preceding selection.
* Alcohol or drug abuse.
* Less than 2 months placebo run-in.
* Contraindications to use of trial drugs
C: INCLUSION CRITERIA:

* Heart failure as defined by at least one of symptom (paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea; orthopnea; or dyspnea on mild or moderate exertion) at the time of screening and at least one sign (any rales post cough; jugular venous pressure(JVP) greater than or equal to 10cm of water(H2O); lower extremity edema; or chest x-ray demonstrating pleural effusion, pulmonary congestion, or cardiomegaly) within 12 months prior to study entry:
* left ventricular ejection fraction greater than or equal to 45% (per local reading); the ejection fraction must have been obtained within 6 months prior to randomization and after any MI or other event that would affect ejection fraction
* Controlled systolic blood pressure(BP), defined as a target systolic BP less than 140 mm Hg; participants with BP up to and including 160 mm Hg are eligible for enrollment if they are on three or more medications to control BP
* Serum potassium less than 5.0 mmol/L prior to randomization
* At least one hospital admission for which heart failure was a major component of the hospitalization some time within the 12 months prior to study entry OR brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) greater than or equal to 100pg/ml or N-terminal pro-BNP greater than or equal to 360pg/ml within the 60 days prior to study entry
* Women of child-bearing potential must have a negative serum/urine pregnancy test within 72 hours prior to randomization, must not be lactating, and must agree to use an effective method of contraception during the entire course of study participation
* Willing to comply with scheduled visits
* Informed consent form signed by the subject prior to participation in the trial

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

* Severe systemic illness with an expected life expectancy of less than 3 years
* Chronic pulmonary disease requiring home O2, oral steroid therapy, or hospitalization for exacerbation within 12 months of study entry, or significant chronic pulmonary disease in the opinion of the investigator
* Known infiltrative or hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy or known pericardial constriction
* Primary hemodynamically significant uncorrected valvular heart disease, obstructive or regurgitant, or any valvular disease expected to lead to surgery during the trial
* Atrial fibrillation with a resting heart rate greater than 90 bpm
* MI in the past 90 days
* Coronary artery bypass graft surgery in the past 90 days
* Percutaneous coronary intervention in the past 30 days
* Heart transplant recipient
* Currently implanted left ventricular assist device
* Stroke in past 90 days
* Systolic BP (SBP) greater than 160 mm Hg
* Known orthostatic hypotension
* Gastrointestinal disorder that could interfere with study drug absorption
* Use of any aldosterone antagonist or potassium sparing medication in the last 14 days or any known condition that would require the use of an aldosterone antagonist during study participation;
* Known intolerance to aldosterone antagonists
* Current lithium use
* Current participation (including prior 30 days) in any other therapeutic trial
* Any condition that, in the opinion of the investigator, may prevent the participant from adhering to the trial protocol
* History of hyperkalemia (serum potassium greater than or equal to 5.5mmol/L) in the past 6 months or serum potassium greater than or equal to 5.0mmol/L within the past 2 weeks
* Severe renal dysfunction, defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate(GFR) less than 30ml/min. Participants with serum creatinine greater than or equal to 2.5mg/dl are also excluded even if their GFR is greater than or equal to 30ml/min
* Known chronic hepatic disease, defined as aspartate aminotransferase(AST) and alanine aminotransferase(ALT) levels greater than 3.0 times the upper limit of normal as read at the local lab.
D: 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.

Answer: D