OnTarget: ONgoing Telmisartan Alone and in combination with Ramipril Global Endpoint Trial: A large, simple randomized trial of an Angiotensin II Receptor Antagonist (Telmisartan) and an ACE-Inhibitor (Ramipril) in patients at high risk for cardiovascular events Transcend: Telmisartan Randomized AssessmeNt Study in aCE iNtolerant subjects with cardiovascular Disease   Sponsor:     Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc   Principal Investigator     Salim Yusuf, D. Phil, FRCPC, McMaster University, Hamilton Ontario, Canada   Berman Center Site Principal Investigator     Richard Grimm, MD, PhD   Berman Center Site Coordinator     Shirley Conn, RN, 612-341-7907   Description     OnTarget compares the efficacy of telmisartan (an antiotensin II antagonist) and ramipril (an ACE-Inhibitor) either together or each alone, in reducing the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events (defined as CV death, MI, stroke, or hospitalization for CHF), among individuals at high CVD risk. A secondary goal is to compare efficacy of the three treatment combinations for reducing the rate of onset of type II diabetes.     Using the same outcomes, TRANSCEND compares telmisartan to placebo for individuals who are unable to take ACE-Inhibitors because intolerable side effects.     A DNA substudy of both OnTarget and TRANSCEND investigates genetic reasons why certain people respond differently to various drugs, and why certain people have risk of cardiovascular disease while other people don’t.   Role of the Berman Center     The Berman Center is one of 700-800 clinical sites worldwide participating in OnTarget_Transcend, and one of 40 sites that is participating in the DNA substudy. The Berman Center enrolled six participants into OnTarget and one participant into TRANSCEND. The Berman Center will follow all its participants for the 5-6 years of treatment and follow-up. During this time, the Berman Center administers, for each participant, three physical examinations, five blood draws, blood pressure measurements at each visit, up to three ECGs, and six questionnaires. Each participant will visit the Berman Center approximately 14 times during the study period.   Abstract     People with coronary artery disease, poor circulation in the legs, stroke, TIA, or diabetes with complications are at increased risk of suffering from further heart attacks, strokes, heart failure or death from these conditions. Read the abstract.