Table 1.

Comparisons of persons initiated on ACE-I^* vs. Beta-blocker as a second agent

		ACE-I* (N=9,622)	Beta-blocker (N=5,918)	p value†
Year of 2nd agent start
	2002	30.8%	69.2%	<0.001
	2003	39.9%	60.1%
	2004	51.4%	48.6%
	2005	62.8%	37.3%
	2006	81.8%	18.2%
	2007	85.1%	14.9%
Adjusted for year of 2nd agent start
Age in years		55.9	55.3	0.006
Male gender		47.7%	42.2%	<0.001
Mean # days on thiazide prior to 2nd agent start		336	308	<0.001
Average # of visits during year prior to thiazide initiation		1.7	1.7	0.57
Mean Systolic BP‡ (closest measure prior to or same day as 2nd agent start)		151.8	152.7	<0.001
Mean Diastolic BP‡ (closest measure prior to or same day as 2nd agent start)		89.0	90.0	<0.001
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease		0.6%	0.4%	0.09
Hyperlipidemia		4.0%	5.0%	0.005
Cancer		1.7	2.3	0.01
Dementia		0.03%	0.06%	0.35
Chronic liver disease		0.1%	0.2%	0.44
Depression		13.6%	14.5%	0.11
Minimum of 1 year enrollment after 2nd line initiation§ (N=12,371)		80.0%	79.6%	0.61
Blood pressure measured 12 months after 2nd line agent start∥ (N=10,298)		83.7%	83.0%	0.36

^*ACE-I: angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor

^†p value from chi-square test for categorical variables and t-test for continuous variables

^‡BP: blood pressure

^§persons with 2^nd agent start in 2007 all have < 1 year enrollment before Dec. 31 2007. (Years 2002-2006 have >94% with one year enrollment minimum)

^∥Among persons with 1 year enrollment after 2^nd line initiation