Patients enrolled in the ONTARGET^® Trial Programme enrolled high-risk patients with previous cardiovascular events or type 2 diabetes with target organ damage, controlled BP and no heart failure. Patients were assigned to the TRANSCEND^® trial if they could tolerate ACE inhibitors; all other patients were assigned to ONTARGET^®.

Following a 3-week run-in, patients in the ONTARGET^® trial (n=25,620) were randomized to treatment with telmisartan 80mg (n=7,800), ramipril 10mg (n=7,800) or a combination of telmisartan 80mg and ramipril 10mg (n=7,800). Similarly following a 3 week run-in patients in the TRANSCEND^® trial (n=5,304) were randomized to telmisartan 80mg (n=3,000) or placebo (n=3,000). Patients in both arms were monitored every 6 months for 3.5 to 5.5 years.