Fixed Low-Dose Triple Combination Antihypertensive Medication vs Usual Care for Blood Pressure Control in Patients With Mild to Moderate Hypertension in Sri Lanka: A Randomized Clinical Trial

IMPORTANCE: Poorly controlled hypertension is a leading global public health problem requiring new treatment strategies. OBJECTIVE: To assess whether a low-dose triple combination antihypertensive medication would achieve better blood pressure (BP) control vs usual care. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Randomized, open-label trial of a low-dose triple BP therapy vs usual care for adults with hypertension (systolic BP >140 mm Hg and/or diastolic BP >90 mm Hg; or in patients with diabetes or chronic kidney disease: >130 mm Hg and/or >80 mm Hg) requiring initiation (untreated patients) or escalation (patients receiving monotherapy) of antihypertensive therapy. Patients were enrolled from 11 urban hospital clinics in Sri Lanka from February 2016 to May 2017; follow-up ended in October 2017. INTERVENTIONS: A once-daily fixed-dose triple combination pill (20 mg of telmisartan, 2.5 mg of amlodipine, and 12.5 mg of chlorthalidone) therapy (n = 349) or usual care (n = 351). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was the proportion achieving target systolic/diastolic BP (