Study	Reason for exclusion
ACCELERATE 2011	Follow‐up only 32 weeks
BENEDICT‐B 2011	We requested data of participants naive to antihypertensive drugs. Authors provided individual participant data, but there were fewer than 50 participants per group (trandolapril: 39 participants, trandolapril + verapamil: 40 participants).
DEMAND 2011	We requested data of participants naïve to antihypertensive drugs. Authors provided individual participant data, but there were fewer than 50 participants per group (delapril: 33 participants, delapril + manidipine participants: 38).
MRC‐O 1992	Single‐blind trial.
ONTARGET 2008	Participants entered a run‐in period in which they received ramipril 2.5 mg once daily for 3 days, followed by telmisartan 40 mg + ramipril 2.5 mg once daily for 7 days and then ramipril 5 mg + telmisartan 40 mg for 11 to 18 days; so participants were not naive to antihypertensive treatment at randomization.
PICXEL 2005	We requested data of participants naive to antihypertensive drugs. Authors provided aggregate data, but there were fewer than 50 participants per group (enalapril: 46 participants, perindopril + indapamide: 40 participants).
Zhang 2010	Not stated that it was a double‐blind trial. No data of any of our primary outcomes.