Volume 3, Number 4, December 2002

The DIabetic Retinopathy Candesartan Trials (DIRECT) Programme, rationale and study design
The DIRECT Programme Study Group

The DIabetic Retinopathy Candesartan Trials (DIRECT) Programme consists of three randomised, double-masked, parallel, placebo-controlled studies to determine the impact of treatment with candesartan on diabetic retinopathy. In Type 1 diabetes, 1,700 patients without retinopathy will be randomised into a primary prevention study, and 1,200 with non-proliferative retinopathy into a secondary prevention study. In Type 2 diabetes, 1,600 patients with non-proliferative retinopathy will be randomised. Patients will be followed for at least three years. Eligible patients must be normotensive (systolic blood pressure [SBP] < 130 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure [DBP] < 85 mmHg) without antihypertensive medication in Type 1 diabetes, and either normotensive or treated hypertensive (SBP < 160 mmHg and SBP < 90 mmHg) and not taking angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or AT₁-receptor blockers in Type 2 diabetes. All patients will be normoalbuminuric, based on two overnight urine collections. The primary endpoint is based upon retinal photographs, graded to the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study scale. A two-step increase on this scale defines incidence, and a three-step increase defines progression of retinopathy. The main secondary endpoint for each study is change in urinary albumin excretion rate. A positive outcome of the DIRECT Programme would be an important step forward in the clinical management of patients with diabetes.

JRAAS 2002;3:255-261.

View full PDF article (open in new window)
Email this article

Right click on this DOI link and copy link to cite this article (What is a DOI link?)