Table 1.
Characteristics of the Patients.*
| Variable | Telmisartan (N = 10,146) | Placebo (N = 10,186) |
|---|---|---|
| Age — yr | 66.1±8.6 | 66.2±8.6 |
| Blood pressure — mm Hg | 144.1±16.4/83.8±10.5 | 144.2±16.7/83.8±10.6 |
| Heart rate — beats/min | 73.2±11.7 | 73.1±11.7 |
| Body-mass index | 26.8±5.0 | 26.8±5.0 |
| Female sex — no. (%) | 3619 (35.7) | 3691 (36.2) |
| Ethnic group — no. (%)† | ||
| Chinese | 1843 (18.2) | 1823 (17.9) |
| South Asian | 849 (8.4) | 863 (8.5) |
| Other Asian | 640 (6.3) | 642 (6.3) |
| African | 407 (4.0) | 409 (4.0) |
| White/European | 5827 (57.4) | 5870 (57.6) |
| Native Latin | 494 (4.9) | 496 (4.9) |
| Other | 86 (0.8) | 83 (0.8) |
| Clinical history — no. (%) | ||
| Previous stroke or TIA | 2486 (24.5) | 2511 (24.7) |
| Atherosclerotic disease‡ | 1898 (18.7) | 2053 (20.2) |
| Atrial fibrillation | 266 (2.6) | 274 (2.7) |
| Hypertension | 7510 (74.0) | 7538 (74.0) |
| Diabetes mellitus | 2840 (28.0) | 2903 (28.5) |
| Hyperlipidemia | 4735 (46.7) | 4758 (46.7) |
| Left ventricular hypertrophy | 1577 (15.5) | 1590 (15.6) |
| Smoking status — no. (%) | ||
| Current | 2151 (21.2) | 2157 (21.2) |
| Past | 3703 (36.5) | 3649 (35.8) |
| Use of medication at baseline — no. (%) | ||
| Statin | 4742 (46.7) | 4872 (47.8) |
| ACE inhibitor | 3737 (36.8) | 3782 (37.1) |
| Diuretic | 2093 (20.6) | 2168 (21.3) |
| Calcium-channel blocker | 2487 (24.5) | 2473 (24.3) |
| Beta-blocker | 2096 (20.7) | 2135 (21.0) |
| Index stroke ≥10 days before randomization — no. (%) | 4021 (39.6) | 4066 (39.9) |
| TOAST classification | ||
| Large-artery atherosclerosis | 2907 (28.7) | 2898 (28.5) |
| Cardioembolism | 187 (1.8) | 182 (1.8) |
| Small-artery occlusion | 5283 (52.1) | 5295 (52.0) |
| Other | 1769 (17.4) | 1811 (17.8) |
| Score on modified Rankin Scale — no. (%)§ | ||
| 0 | 1420 (14.0) | 1433 (14.1) |
| 1 | 3732 (36.8) | 3848 (37.8) |
| 2 | 2555 (25.2) | 2526 (24.8) |
| 3–5 | 2439 (24.0) | 2379 (23.4) |
| Baseline NIH Stroke Scale — no. (%)¶ | ||
| 0–1 | 4044 (39.9) | 4047 (39.7) |
| 2–3 | 2937 (28.9) | 3049 (29.9) |
| 4–5 | 1740 (17.1) | 1612 (15.8) |
| 6–14 | 1350 (13.3) | 1397 (13.7) |
| >14 | 72 (0.7) | 79 (0.8) |
*
Plus–minus values are means ±SD. The body-mass index is the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters. ACE denotes angiotensin-converting enzyme, NIH National Institutes of Health, TIA transient ischemic attack, and TOAST Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment.
†
Ethnic group was self-reported. The term Native Latin refers to Latin American ethnic background.
‡
P = 0.05.
§
The modified Rankin Scale score ranges from 0 to 6, with higher scores indicating greater severity.
¶
The NIH Stroke Scale ranges from 0 to 42, with higher scores indicating greater severity.