Effectiveness and Tolerability of Tarka® in the Treatment of Hypertensive Patients With High Risk of Developing Diabetes Mellitus (TARDIA)

• Reduction in Systolic Blood Pressure and Diastolic Blood Pressure From Baseline to Study End [ Time Frame: Baseline to 6 months/study end ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  Participants were to be followed for 6 months. Changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure were assessed by comparing the blood pressure measurements obtained at the end of Tarka treatment (approximately 6 months) to baseline values. For this analysis of effectiveness the last available value was considered the analysis time point "end of study".
  
  

• Percentage of Participants Achieving Target Blood Pressure (Less Than 140/90) at Study End and the Need for Other Antihypertensive Drugs, Clustered by Type(s) of Drugs Added to Tarka. [ Time Frame: 6 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  The percentages of participants achieving and not achieving the target blood pressure of less than 140/90 mmHg at the end of the study are presented. Percentages of participants taking Tarka only or taking Tarka plus another antihypertensive drug are summarized by type of drug: beta blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, calcium antagonists, diuretics, and angiotensin II (AT-II) receptor antagonists. Participants taking drugs that did not fit any of the above groups (Other), unknown drugs (Unknown), or more than one additional antihypertensive agent are also summarized.
  
  
• Evaluation of Adverse Events (AEs) Leading to Discontinuation of Tarka and a Summary of All AEs Possibly or Probably Related to Tarka by Frequency and Severity [ Time Frame: 6 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  The number of AEs leading to Tarka discontinuation are summarized. AEs that were considered by the investigator to be possibly or probably related to Tarka are summarized by the severity of the AE (classified as mild, moderate, or severe). AEs considered possibly or probably related to Tarka that led to the discontinuation of Tarka are also presented by severity.
  
  

This is a non-interventional, observational, open-label, multicountry, multicenter post-marketing study in which Tarka is prescribed in the usual manner in accordance with the terms of the local market authorization with regards to dose, population and indication. Patients with a high risk of developing diabetes mellitus treated by secondary care specialists (such as internal medicine specialists, nephrologists, endocrinologists, etc.), whose hypertension is not controlled on single-drug therapy will be included.

The assignment of the patient to the treatment with Tarka is not decided in advance by this protocol but falls within current practice. The prescription of Tarka is clearly separated from the decision to include the patient in this study. No additional procedures (other than standard of care) shall be applied to the patients.

Each patient will be treated at the physician's discretion. Dosing schedule should be in the accordance with the locally approved Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC). Physicians will be provided with a study kit that includes a protocol, Tarka's locally approved SmPC, and case reports forms for each patient to be enrolled.

The patient's demographic data, height, weight and waist circumference will be reported in the Inclusion visit. The previous antihypertensive therapy should be noted (generic name of the drug and total daily dose). All other drugs the patient currently receives for cardiovascular disease treatment should be recorded as well.

The patient will then be followed via regular office visits as determined by the physician. As this study is observational in nature, patient follow-up is not interventional and is left to the judgment of each physician within the 6-month period, which defines the survey for each patient. For indicative purposes, follow-up of participant should enable 3 patient visits during this period. For these reasons, the most likely visits are defined as "Inclusion visit" at which treatment with Tarka is to be commenced, and then "Follow-up visit Month 3 " and "Follow-up visit Month 6", although dates will depend only on the decision of the physician. As a result, failure to meet these suggested dates will not constitute a breach of the protocol.