Effects of an ARB on microcirculation in essential hypertension

INTERVENTION: After a 2‐week single‐blind placebo run‐in period, patients will be randomised to 8 weeks treatment with either candesartan 8 mg once daily orally (with forced titration to 16 mg once daily orally after 2 weeks) or amlodpine 5 mg once daily orally (with forced titration to 10 mg once daily orally after 2 wks). Study entry: single randomisation only CONDITION: Topic: Cardiovascular; Subtopic: Cardiovascular (all Subtopics); Disease: Cardiovascular ; Circulatory System ; Hypertension PRIMARY OUTCOME: The increase in maximal capillary density at the end of 8 weeks treatment. SECONDARY OUTCOME: 1. Change in aortic augmentation index at 8 weeks; 2. Change in basal capillary density at 8 weeks; 3. Reduction in microalbuminuria at 8 weeks; 4. Improvement in pulse wave velocity at 8 weeks INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Male and female, aged 18 years or older 2. Uncomplicated mild‐to‐moderate essential hypertension, i.e., sitting diastolic blood pressure (BP) greater than or equal to 90 to less than 110 mmHg and/or systolic BP greater than or equal to 140 to less than 180 mmHg) 3. Not previously treated for their high blood pressure 4. Caucasian and light‐coloured Asians only, this is due to the technical difficulty of performing capillaroscopy in dark‐skinned individuals