RAS blockade and cardioprotection baseline 24 weeks Fig. 2 - Individual responses of LVM/h2.7 over the 24 weeks’ treat- ment with losartan, ramipril and the combined treatment. ramipril) was also higher in the combination group. No significant changes in absolute and percent changes in SBP, DBP and MBP was detected between the three groups (Tab. III). Table IV shows the effects of treatment on LVM, LVM/h2.7 and on percent reduction of LVM/h2.7 in a sub- set of hypertensives with baseline LVH. LVM and LVM/h2.7 were significantly (p< 0.05) re- duced at the end of treatment in all groups. Percent re- duction in LVM/h2.7 was significantly higher in combined group than ramipril (p< 0.02) and losartan (p< 0.01). Hy- pertensives with normalized LVM was similar in all groups (losartan 6/10; ramipril 7/10; combined 7/11). RAMIPRIL LOSARTAN b .7) 2 m / r g 7( . 2h / M V L c .7) 2 m / r g 7( . 2h / M V L a .7) 2 m / r g 7( . 2h / M V L Cases LVM (gr) LVM/h2.7 (g/m2.7) ∆ LVM/h2.7 (%) 44 baseline 24 weeks COMBINED baseline 24 weeks Combined 11 213 ± 25 63 ± 10 153 ± 27* 46 ± 12* !27† ‡ TABLE IV - EFFECTS OF TREATMENTS ON TOTAL AND INDEXED LEFT VENTRICULAR MASS AND ON ITS PERCENT REDUCTION IN HYPERTENSIVES WITH BASELINE LEFT VENTRICULAR HYPERTROPHY LVM: left ventricular mass. LVM/h2.7: left ventricular mass normalized to height2.7 ∆ LVM/h2.7: Percent reduction in left ventricular mass normalized to height2.7 Kruskall-Wallis test: * p<0.05 vs baseline; †p<0.02 vs ramipril; ‡ p<0.01 vs losartan Losartan 10 Ramipril 10 203 ± 37 58 ± 8 172 ± 31* 49 ± 8* !16 198 ± 30 57 ± 8 157 ± 38* 46 ± 9* !19 Baseline Treatment Baseline Treatment Baseline Treatment