one a direct renin inhibitor. A post hoc w2-test showed that these drugs were evenly distributed between the groups. BP decreased significantly in each group vs baseline (Po0.001), but there were no significant differences in BP control between the groups (analysis of variance, P ¼ 0.39). Figure 3 shows the BP values obtained during the study. The final SBP values were 126.5±9.0 and 129.9±10.9 mm Hg for the OA and OH groups, respectively, and the final diastolic BP values were 84.9±7.3 and 86.3±8.6 mm Hg. The mean differences between groups throughout the study were 1.5 mm Hg for SBP ( 1.4 to 4.4) and 0.8 mm Hg for diastolic BP ( 1.8 to 3.6). In the OA group, 53.3% of patients required doubling of the initial drug doses, and 30.0% required the addition of doxazosin. The respective figures for the OH group were 53.3 and 31.7%. By week 26, before the addition of doxazo- sin, 68.3% of patients in the OA group and 66.7% in the OH group had reached the target BP; at the end of the study, the respective figures were 81.7 and 78.3%. The baseline values for all of the quantitative variables in both groups are presented in Table 1. There were no significant differences between groups at baseline. For body mass index, waist circumference, fasting plasma glucose, sodium, potassium, creatinine, lipid profile, bilirubin and aminotransferases, no differences between the treat- ment groups were found throughout the study; the final values are presented in Table 2. The albumin excretion rate decreased signifi- cantly in both groups (Po0.01), with no between- group differences. In the OA group, the percentage reductions were 34.1% at week 26 and 50.0% at week 78; in the OH group, the reductions were 36.2 and 53.7%, respectively. The 95% confidence intervals for the differences were, respectively, 7.5 to 11.8% and 5.9 to 13.4%. The IRI and plasma fasting insulin were significantly reduced in the Figure 3 Systolic and diastolic blood pressures during the OLAS study. Those patients who did not achieve systolic blood pressure target (o140 mm Hg) received 4 mg of doxazosin at week 26, which was doubled to 8 mg of doxazosin at week 39 if required. OA, olmesartan/amlodipine; BP, blood pressure; OH, olmesartan/ hydrochlorothiazide. OLAS: Olmesartan/Amlodipine vs Olmesartan/Thiazide FJ Martinez-Martin et al OA group (by 24.1 and 25.0%, respectively, both Po0.01), whereas adiponectin was increased by 16.3% (Po0.01). In the OH group, changes in IRI, plasma fasting insulin and adiponectin were not Table 1 Baseline values for all of the quantitative variables in both groups Variable Age (year) Sex (% female) Body mass index (kg m 2) Waist circumference (cm) SBP (mm Hg) DBP (mm Hg) Fasting glucose (mmol l 1) Plasma Na+ (mEq l 1) Plasma K+ (mEq l 1) Plasma creatinine (mmol l 1) Total cholesterol (mmol l 1) HDL-cholesterol (mmol l 1) Triglycerides (mmol l 1) Total bilirubin (mmol l 1) AST (IU per l) ALT (IU per l) Albumin/creatinine (mg mmol 1) Fasting insulin (pmol l 1) IRI-HOMA (arbitrary units) Adiponectin (mg ml 1) TNF-a (pg ml 1) CRP (mg l 1) IL-1b (pg ml 1) IL-6 (pg ml 1) IL-8 (pg ml 1) ICAM-1 (ng ml 1) VCAM-1 (ng ml 1) OA group OH group 59.0±7.9 56.7 31.4±3.8 106.1±12.9 154.5±10.9 102.5±7.9 5.52±0.71 138±2.7 4.6±0.7 0.09±0.01 5.27±1.12 0.99±0.36 1.93±0.83 12.3±2.6 38.3±7.1 35.9±6.2 3.24±3.04 83.70±40.26 3.41±1.1 10.71±6.31 4.25±2.16 2.15±0.60 0.54±0.21 3.48±2.11 14.42±6.31 298±58 857±321 59.5±8.0 53.3 31.1±4.0 106.5±11.8 154.9±9.8 101.0±8.3 5.49±0.66 139±3.2 4.5±0.8 0.09±0.02 5.25±1.02 1.04±0.39 1.96±0.99 12.6±4.2 37.5±8.4 32.6±7.4 2.91±3.18 83.22±33.42 3.39±0.94 10.59±5.44 4.31±1.97 2.2±0.51 0.53±0.24 3.46+1.68 14.77±5.89 303±49 819±297 Abbreviations: ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate amino- transferase; BP, blood pressure; CRP, C-reactive protein; DBP, diastolic blood pressure; HDL, high-density lipoprotein; HOMA, homeostasis model assessment; ICAM, intercellular adhesion molecule; IL, interleukin; IRI, insulin resistance index; OA, olmesartan/amlodi- pine; OH, olmesartan/hydrochlorothiazide; SBP, systolic blood pres- sure; TNF, tumour necrosis factor; VCAM, vascular cell adhesion molecule. There were no significant differences between groups for any of the variables. Table 2 Final values (week 78) for the quantitative variables that did not change significantly in both groups Variable Body mass index (kg m 2) Waist circumference (cm) Fasting glucose (mmol l 1) Plasma Na+ (met per l) Plasma K+ (mEq l 1) Plasma creatinine (mmol l 1) Total cholesterol (mmol l 1) HDL-cholesterol (mmol l 1) Triglycerides (mmol l 1) Total bilirubin (mmol l 1) AST (IU per l) ALT (IU per l) OA group 31.2±3.9 105.5±11.77 5.50±0.78 138±2.8 4.6±0.6 0.08±0.02 5.22±1.23 1.03±0.44 1.83±0.90 11.8±3.2 37.9±6.8 34.1±7.7 OH group 31.6±3.7 107.1±9.9 5.57±0.80 138±3.6 4.4±0.7 0.09±0.01 5.32±0.97 1.01±0.50 2.13±1.12 12.1±4.3 38.0±7.6 33.8±10.1 Abbreviations: ALT, alanine aminotransferase; AST, aspartate amino- transferase; HDL, High-density lipoprotein; OA, olmesartan/amlodi- pine; OH, olmesartan/hydrochlorothiazide. 349 Journal of Human Hypertension