Follow‐Up and Assessments
Ambulatory BP measurement over 24 hours was conducted at 2 time points in a subset of participants in the original study. The first 24‐hour ambulatory BP measurement was performed after a patient had qualified for randomization based on office BP measurement but before administering the first dose of double‐blind study medication. The second ambulatory BP measurement was performed at week 8. Patients who withdrew from the study before week 8 did not need to have ambulatory BP measurements performed. At each 24‐hour ambulatory BP assessment period, the measurement device was attached to the nondominant arm, and both BP and heart rate were measured at study‐specified intervals. Readings were downloaded from device memory and then analyzed by a central laboratory.