Study	Reason for exclusion
ABC 2000	Parallel group trial in black patients with 12‐week treatment period, titration in non‐responders every 4 weeks. Pre‐titration data not reported (candesartan 16 mg/day vs. placebo).
Asmar 2000	Parallel group trial with 8‐week treatment period, forced titration at 4 weeks. BP data for placebo group not reported at 4 weeks (candesartan 8 mg/day vs. placebo).
Asmar 2001	Crossover trial with no pre‐crossover data reported for first 4 weeks of treatment (telmisartan 40 mg/day vs. placebo).
Bakris 2002	Parallel group trial with 8‐week treatment period, forced titration at 4 weeks. Pre‐titration data not reported (losartan 50 mg/day vs. enalapril 10 mg/day vs. placebo).
Fagard 2001	Crossover trial with no pre‐crossover data reported for first 6 weeks of treatment (losartan 50 mg/day vs. enalapril 20 mg/day vs. placebo).
Fridman 1999	Crossover trial with no pre‐crossover data reported for first 6 weeks of treatment (candesartan 16 mg/day vs. placebo).
Hedner 1999a	Parallel group trial with 13‐week treatment period, including 9‐week dose titration phase followed by 4‐week maintenance phase. Pre‐titration data not reported (eprosartan 400 mg once daily vs. eprosartan 200 mg twice daily vs. placebo).
Koh 2004	Parallel group trial with 8‐week treatment period. Time and position of BP measurement not reported. BP measurement device also not reported. (losartan 100 mg/day vs. irbesartan 300 mg/day vs. candesartan 16 mg/day vs. placebo).
Lacourciere 1998a	Parallel group trial with 12‐week treatment period, titration in non‐responders every 4 weeks. Pre‐titration data not reported (telmisartan 40 mg/day vs. placebo).
Lacourciere 1999	Parallel group trial with 8‐week treatment period. BP data for placebo group not reported (telmisartan 80 mg/day vs. lisinopril 20 mg/day vs. placebo).
Marino 1999	Parallel group trial with 4‐week treatment period. BP data reported as 24 h area under curve (irbesartan 300 mg/day vs. placebo).
McInnes 1997	Parallel group trial with 12‐week treatment period, titration in non‐responders at 6 weeks. Pre‐titration data not reported (candesartan 8 mg/day vs. placebo).
Neutel 1997	Parallel group trial with 8‐week treatment period. Only ambulatory BP monitoring data reported (valsartan 20, 80, 160, 320 mg/day vs. placebo).
Neutel 2000	Parallel group trial with 8‐week treatment period, titration in non‐responders at 4 weeks. Pre‐titration data not reported (valsartan 80 mg/day vs. placebo).
Petrov 2001	Crossover trial with no pre‐crossover data reported for first 6 weeks of treatment (losartan 50 mg/day vs. enalapril 20 mg/day vs. placebo).
Zanchetti 2001	Parallel group trial with 8‐week treatment period, titration in non‐responders at 4 weeks. Pre‐titration data not reported (candesartan 4 mg/day vs. enalapril 10 mg/day vs. placebo).
Zuschke 1999	Parallel group trial with 8‐week treatment period, forced titration at 4 weeks. Pre‐titration data not reported (candesartan 16 mg once daily vs. candesartan 8 mg twice daily vs. placebo).