Baseline characteristics of participants: n (%) unless otherwise stated.
| Participant characteristics | Intervention arm n = 797 | Control arm n = 737 |
|---|---|---|
| Mean age (SD) | 64.3 (9.9) | 64.3 (10.0) |
| Males | 464 (58.2) | 443 (60.1) |
| Ethnic group: non-white | 61 (7.7) | 83 (11.3) |
| Years since diagnosis of diabetes | ||
| 0–5 | 437 (54.8) | 395 (53.6) |
| 6–10 | 184 (23.1) | 190 (25.8) |
| 11–15 | 107 (13.4) | 85 (11.5) |
| >15 | 69 (8.7) | 67 (9.1) |
| Diabetes controlled by | ||
| Diet | 191 (24.0) | 150 (20.4) |
| Oral medication | 504 (63.2) | 497 (67.4) |
| Insulin | 102 (12.8) | 90 (12.2) |
| Mean systolic blood pressure (SD) [3] | 146 (21) | 146 (19) |
| Mean diastolic blood pressure (SD) [3] | 80 (10) | 80 (10) |
| Controlled blood pressure [3] | 264 (33.3) | 228 (30.9) |
| Receiving treatment for hypertension | 540 (67.8) | 505 (68.5) |
| Number of antihypertensive medications: | ||
| 0 | 257 (32.3) | 232 (31.5) |
| 1 | 199 (25.0) | 191 (25.9) |
| 2 | 204 (25.6) | 185 (25.1) |
| 3 | 103 (12.9) | 89 (12.1) |
| 4 | 30 (3.8) | 36 (4.9) |
| 5 | 3 (0.4) | 3 (0.4) |
| 6 | 1 (0.1) | 1 (0.1) |
| Median (IQR) | 1 (0,2) | 1(0,2) |
| Prescribed >50% of maximum dose of antihypertensivesa | 269 (50.6) | 260 (52.6) |
| Mean body mass index (SD)[2] | 30.0 (5.3) | 30.2 (3.4) |
| Current smoker [1] | 119 (14.9) | 104 (14.1) |
| Macrovascular complicationsb | 263 (33.0) | 228 (30.9) |
| Microvascular complicationsc[173] | 314 (44.6) | 292 (44.4) |
| Mean glycosylated haemoglobin (SD) [10] | 7.7 (1.4) | 7.7 (1.5) |
↵a Calculated by summing percentage of maximum recommended dose prescribed for each antihypertensive drug and dividing by number of prescribed antihypertensive drugs. Loop diuretics have been excluded from this analysis.
↵b Defined as a history of ischaemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, or peripheral vascular disease.
↵c Defined as the presence of retinopathy, abnormal albumin creatinine ratio or peripheral neuropathy. IQR = interquartile range. [] = missing values. SD = standard deviation.