The Valsartan Antihypertensive Long-term Use Evaluation (VALUE) trial in Slovakia

We described the baseline characteristics of a cohort of patients who are a part of a large prospective study and compared with those characteristics of patients enrolled globally.

The Valsartan Antihypertensive Long-term Use Evaluation (VALUE) is a double-blind, randomized, multinational, multicenter, prospective, parallel group study. The primary objective of VALUE trial is to assess the effect of the angiotensin II (AT1 receptor) antagonist valsartan on the reduction of cardiac morbidity and mortality in patients 50 years of age or older with essential hypertension and a high risk of cardiovascular events.

A total of 15314 patients from 31 countries were randomized. In Slovakia 103 patients were randomized. We compared baseline characteristics of patients enrolled in Slovakia with those of patients enrolled globally. Statistic analysis was made with F-test, t-test, chi-square test and binomial test.

The Slovak group had of fewer men (40.8%) and more patients of Caucasian race (99.0%). A higher proportion of patients treated for hypertension for at least three months was found in the Slovak group (99.0%), however the mean values of sitting systolic and sitting diastolic blood pressures remained similar in both groups. The value of serum creatinine >150 micromol/l did not occur in the Slovak group. The coronary heart disease was more prevalent in the Slovak group (77.7%) and the mean value of hemoglobin was lower in the Slovak group (138.0 g/l).

The baseline characteristics of the 103 patients enrolled in VALUE trial in Slovakia indicate that the target population of patients with essential hypertension and a high risk of cardiovascular events was achieved. (Tab. 1, Fig. 6, Ref. 21.).