Skip to main content
. 2016 Mar 2;2016(3):CD008274. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD008274.pub3

Ruvolo 1994.

Methods DESIGN: parallel, randomised, no information on blinding
 DURATION: 6 months
 NUMBER OF STUDY CENTRES: 1
 COUNTRY OF PUBLICATION: Italy
 SPONSOR: ‐
Participants WHO PARTICIPATED: overweight hypertensive patients on 10 mg amlodipine daily
 SETTING: outpatient clinic
MAIN INCLUSION CRITERIA:
 BMI > 30 kg/m2, DBP > 100 mm Hg
MAIN EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
 heart failure, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus
NUMBER: 16 vs 16 were randomised, 16 vs 16 were analysed (dietary intervention vs no dietary intervention)
GENERAL BASELINE CHARACTERISTICS (dietary intervention vs no dietary intervention):
 MEAN AGE [YEARS]: 53
 GENDER [% MALE]: 53
 NATIONALITY: Italian
 ETHNICITY: ‐
 WEIGHT [kg]: 98 vs 97
 BODY MASS INDEX [kg/m2]: 34 vs 34
 SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE [mm Hg]: 178 vs 176 
 DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE [mm Hg]: 107 vs 106 
 COMORBID CONDITIONS: ‐
 ANTIHYPERTENSIVE TREATMENT [%]: 100 with amlodipine 10 mg
 DURATION OF HYPERTENSION: ‐
SUBGROUP ANALYSES: ‐
Interventions LENGTH OF FOLLOW‐UP: 6 months
DIETARY INTERVENTION: weight‐reducing diet, no restriction on salt uptake
 NO DIETARY INTERVENTION: no counselling
ADDITIONAL TREATMENT: amlodipine 10 mg
Outcomes PRIMARY OUTCOMES: 
 1. MORTALITY: ‐
 2. CARDIOVASCULAR MORBIDITY: ‐
 3. ADVERSE EVENTS: reported
SECONDARY OUTCOMES: 
 1. CHANGES IN SYSTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE [mm Hg]:
 Definition:SBP change from baseline to endpoint visit
 2. CHANGES IN DIASTOLIC BLOOD PRESSURE [mm Hg]:
 Definition: DBP change from baseline to endpoint visit
 3. BODY WEIGHT [kg]:
 Definition: body weight change from baseline to endpoint visit
ADDITIONAL OUTCOMES MEASURED IN THE STUDY: 
 1. Change in left ventricular dimensions
 2. Change in heart rate
Notes  
Risk of bias
Bias Authors' judgement Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias) Unclear risk Comment: No details on sequence generation are provided
Allocation concealment (selection bias) Unclear risk Comment: Method of concealment is not described
Blinding (performance bias and detection bias) 
 All outcomes Unclear risk Comments: No description of randomisation; no information on blinding for investigators
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) 
 All outcomes High risk WITHDRAWALS (dietary intervention vs no dietary intervention): 2 vs 0
 REASONS/DESCRIPTIONS: ‐ 
Selective reporting (reporting bias) Unclear risk Comment: No primary and secondary outcomes were defined
Other bias High risk Comments:
 1. Lack of information on randomisation and concealment of allocation and blinding increases risk of bias
 2. No information provided on the reason for and description of the dropout in the intervention group