Randomization and blinding
diabetes, blindness
The randomization will be conducted on stratification of study centers. At each study center, block randomization will be used with randomly selected block sizes of two, four, and six. Study investigators at each study center will be informed of the assignment of specific participants via the electronic data capture system.Because BPROAD is a trial comparing two different levels of systolic BP control in patients with diabetes, blindness is not possible for study participants and study physicians. However, study staff collecting information on study outcomes will be masked to treatment assignment. In addition, the study outcome committee as well as statisticians will also be masked to treatment assignment.