The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 273 No 7330 p877
18/25 December 2004

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BP trial is halted early

A trial comparing blood-pressure-lowering treatments has been stopped early after one of the treatment arms was found to offer significant advantages to patients.

The Anglo-Scandinavian cardiac outcomes trial (ASCOT) compared a treatment strategy based on the beta-blocker atenolol and the thiazide diuretic bendroflumethiazide with one based on the calcium channel blocker amlodipine and the angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor perindopril.

The newer strategy of using a combination of amlodipine and perindopril resulted in greater benefits for patients.

The ASCOT study co-chairmen commented: “Although at the moment we are unable to provide any definite figures on the effectiveness of the new treatments compared with the old, we have seen important significant differences.”