Reducing high blood pressure A pharmaceutical company has developed a new drug for treating high blood pressure. The company would like to compare the drug’s effects to those of the most popular drug currently on the market. Two hundred volunteers with a history of high blood pressure and who are currently not on medication are recruited to participate in a study.

a. Explain how the researchers could conduct a randomized experiment. Indicate the experimental units, the response and explanatory variables, and the treatments.

b. Explain what would have to be done to make this study double-blind.