Conditions: Hypertension Left Ventricular Hypertrophy Overweight
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 460
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
To compare the efficacy and safety of aliskiren in combination with losartan compared to losartan on the regression of the increased size of the left ventricle in overweight patients with high blood pressure.

Detailed description:

Arms:
arm 1: Patients in this arm initially received 150 mg of aliskiren for two weeks and were then force-titrated up to 300 mg of aliskiren where they remained for 34 weeks. In order to adequately blind the study, patients were required to take a total of 2 tablets and 1 capsule of study medication or placebo per day. In the first 2 weeks, patients took 1 tablet of aliskiren 150 mg, 1 tablet of aliskiren 150 mg placebo, and 1 capsule of losartan placebo. In the remaining 34 weeks, patients took 2 tablets of aliskiren 150 mg and 1 capsule of losartan placebo. Each dose was to be taken by mouth with water at approximately 8:00 AM, except on the morning of study visit when the dose was taken after all procedures and assessments had been completed. arm 2: Patients in this arm initially received 50 mg of losartan for two weeks and were then force-titrated up to 100 mg of losartan where they remained for 34 weeks. In order to adequately blind the study, patients were required to take a total of 2 tablets and 1 capsule of study medication or placebo per day. In the first 2 weeks, patients took 2 tablets of aliskiren 150 mg placebo and 1 capsule of losartan 50 mg. In the remaining 34 weeks, patients took 2 tablets of aliskiren 150 mg placebo and 1 capsule of losartan 100 mg. Each dose was to be taken by mouth with water at approximately 8:00 AM, except on the morning of study visit when the dose was taken after all procedures and assessments had been completed. arm 3: Patients in this arm initially received 150 mg of aliskiren in combination with 50 mg of losartan for two weeks and were then force-titrated up to 300 mg of aliskiren in combination with 100 mg of losartan where they remained for 34 weeks. In order to adequately blind the study, patients were required to take a total of 2 tablets and 1 capsule of study medication or placebo per day. In the first 2 weeks, patients took 1 tablet of aliskiren 150 mg, 1 tablet of aliskiren 150 mg placebo, and 1 capsule of losartan 50 mg. In the remaining 34 weeks, patients took 2 tablets of aliskiren 150 mg and 1 capsule of losartan 100 mg. Each dose was to be taken by mouth with water at approximately 8:00 AM, except on the morning of study visit when the dose was taken after all procedures and assessments had been completed.

Interventions: intervention 1: Aliskiren 150/300 mg intervention 2: Losartan 50/100 mg intervention 3: Aliskiren placebo intervention 4: Losartan 50/100 mg placebo
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Aliskiren 150 mg tablets intervention 2: Losartan 50 or 100 mg capsules intervention 3: Aliskiren 150 mg placebo tablet intervention 4: Losartan 50/100 mg placebo capsules

Protocol document: