ROBIS is the first large multicenter study performed in Russia. The Objective of the study was to compare the efficiency, safely, and impact of two treatment policies (the application of an algorithm to the stepwise use of 4 classes of antihypertensive agents in an intensive care group and random antihypertensive therapy in a routine treatment group) on the incidence of cardiovascular events in patients with arterial hypertension. Design: This is a national multicenter open consecutive prospective study. The patients meeting the criteria of inclusion were randomly divided into two equal groups, one of them (an intensive care group) received therapy with a nifedipine retard in Fixed dose for 4 weeks. In patients who failed to achieve the target level of blood pressure (BP), the therapy was supplemented by enalapril, 20 mg, hydrochlorothiazide, 25 mg, and metoprolol, 50 mg, at a 4-week interval. After achieving the target BP level, the patients continued the treatment with which the level had been attained. If the antihypertensive effect of therapy was found to disappear, the above drugs were successively supplemented. The other group (a routine treatment group) continued to be treated with the antihypertensive drugs prescribed in the polyclinic (Fig. 1). BP and heart rate were monitored and the patients' complaints and adverse reactions were recorded on repeated visits 4, 8, 12, 16, 24, 52, 64, 70, 88, and 104 weeks after the initiation of therapy. Control blood and urine analyses and ECG studies were made 12, 16, 52, and 104 weeks after therapy.
The first Russian national multicenter study - ROBLS (Russian Optimal Blood pressure Lowering Study)