Ten pivotal trials across hypertension, heart failure, dyslipidaemia, and acute coronary
syndromes — including their naming origins, regimens used, and headline results.
Tap any trial to expand.
Hypertension3 trials
01
ALLHAT
Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial
📛 Why It's Named So
Acronym for Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial, reflecting its dual focus on BP control and lipid management in high-risk hypertensives.
💊 Drugs & Doses
Initial therapy with chlorthalidone (control) versus amlodipine, lisinopril, or doxazosin at standard antihypertensive doses in over 42,000 patients.
🏁 Key Result
Newer agents did not beat chlorthalidone for CHD outcomes — thiazide diuretics emerged as the cheap, effective first-line antihypertensive.
02
SPRINT
Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial
📛 Why It's Named So
Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial — designed specifically around comparing intensive versus standard systolic BP targets.
💊 Drugs & Doses
Individualized antihypertensive regimens titrated to SBP target <120 mmHg ("intensive") versus <140 mmHg ("standard") in high-risk non-diabetic patients.
🏁 Key Result
Intensive SBP target <120 mmHg cut major CV events (HR ≈ 0.75) and reduced mortality — the trial was stopped early for benefit.
03
ASCOT-LLA
Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial – Lipid-Lowering Arm
📛 Why It's Named So
Anglo-Scandinavian Cardiac Outcomes Trial – Lipid-Lowering Arm — the statin sub-study within the larger ASCOT trial, conducted in hypertensive patients with elevated lipids.
💊 Drugs & Doses
Atorvastatin 10 mg/day versus placebo, added to background antihypertensive therapy in hypertensive patients with at least 3 additional CV risk factors.
🏁 Key Result
Atorvastatin cut non-fatal MI / fatal CHD by ~36% and reduced stroke and overall CV events — the lipid arm was stopped early for benefit.
Heart Failure3 trials
04
CONSENSUS
Cooperative North Scandinavian Enalapril Survival Study
📛 Why It's Named So
Acronym for Cooperative North Scandinavian Enalapril Survival Study — highlighting the Scandinavian multi-centre collaboration and the ACEI focus.
💊 Drugs & Doses
Enalapril (starting 2.5 mg/day in high-risk patients, then titrated) versus placebo on top of digitalis and diuretics in NYHA Class IV heart failure.
🏁 Key Result
Enalapril cut 6-month mortality from 44% to 26% and reduced 1-year deaths by about one-third in severe heart failure — a landmark for ACE inhibitors in HF.
05
SOLVD (Treatment)
Studies of Left Ventricular Dysfunction — Treatment Arm
📛 Why It's Named So
Named as the SOLVD trial, evaluating ACE inhibition in patients with LV dysfunction and symptomatic heart failure. The treatment arm enrolled patients with overt HF.
💊 Drugs & Doses
Enalapril versus placebo plus standard HF therapy in CHF patients with LVEF ≤ 35%.
🏁 Key Result
Enalapril significantly reduced all-cause mortality and HF-related hospitalizations compared with placebo — cementing ACEIs as a cornerstone of HFrEF therapy.
06
DAPA-HF
Dapagliflozin and Prevention of Adverse Outcomes in Heart Failure
📛 Why It's Named So
Named for dapagliflozin in Heart Failure — testing SGLT2 inhibition in HFrEF irrespective of diabetes status.
💊 Drugs & Doses
Dapagliflozin 10 mg once daily versus placebo, added on top of guideline-directed HFrEF therapy (LVEF ≤ 40%).
🏁 Key Result
Dapagliflozin reduced worsening HF events or CV death and improved symptoms across NT-proBNP strata — efficacy seen in both diabetic and non-diabetic patients.
Dyslipidaemia / Statins2 trials
07
4S — Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study
The trial that established statins as life-saving therapy
📛 Why It's Named So
Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study — "4S" is simply the four S-words in the full title. A neat mnemonic widely cited in pharmacology teaching.
💊 Drugs & Doses
Simvastatin 20–40 mg/day versus placebo in 4,444 patients with established CHD and hypercholesterolaemia.
🏁 Key Result
Simvastatin lowered total mortality by ~30% and markedly reduced major coronary events and revascularisation procedures — the first trial to show statins save lives.
08
PROVE-IT TIMI-22
Pravastatin or Atorvastatin Evaluation and Infection Therapy
📛 Why It's Named So
A trial comparing pravastatin versus atorvastatin intensity after ACS, conducted within the TIMI (Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction) program at Program No. 22.
💊 Drugs & Doses
Pravastatin 40 mg/day (moderate intensity) versus atorvastatin 80 mg/day (high intensity), started within 10 days of ACS and followed for approximately 24 months.
🏁 Key Result
High-intensity atorvastatin reduced the composite of death, MI, unstable angina, revascularisation, and stroke versus moderate-intensity pravastatin — supporting high-intensity statins post-ACS.
ACS & Antiplatelets1 trial
09
CURE
Clopidogrel in Unstable Angina to Prevent Recurrent Events
📛 Why It's Named So
Acronym for Clopidogrel in Unstable angina to prevent Recurrent Events — emphasising its focus on preventing recurrent ischaemic events in NSTE-ACS.
💊 Drugs & Doses
Clopidogrel + aspirin (DAPT) for 3–12 months versus aspirin alone in NSTE-ACS patients, using standard ACS antiplatelet dosing.
🏁 Key Result
Dual antiplatelet therapy reduced composite CV death / MI / stroke (NNT ≈ 50) but increased major bleeding (NNH ≈ 100) — established DAPT as standard NSTE-ACS care.
Cardiometabolic / SGLT2i1 trial
10
EMPA-REG OUTCOME
Empagliflozin Cardiovascular Outcome Event Trial in Type 2 Diabetes
📛 Why It's Named So
Named for empagliflozin and its CV regulatory outcome mandate — the first SGLT2 inhibitor CVOT to show mortality benefit in T2DM with established CV disease.
💊 Drugs & Doses
Empagliflozin versus placebo on top of standard care in high-cardiovascular-risk T2DM patients; doses per the empagliflozin CVOT program.
🏁 Key Result
Demonstrated CV safety and contributed to pooled GLP-1/SGLT2 evidence — ~10% relative MACE reduction and lower CV and all-cause mortality versus placebo, shifting T2DM management toward cardiorenal protection.