Effective and safe reduction of blood pressure with the combination of amlodipine 5 mg and valsartan 160 mg in hypertensive patients not controlled by calcium channel blocker monotherapy.

Introduction: The addition of an angiotensin II receptor blocker to calcium channel blocker-based antihypertensive therapy may be associated with enhanced efficacy and reduced risk of adverse events.

Methods: This 8-week, open-label, single-arm trial evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of the combination of amlodipine and valsartan in patients not responding adequately to treatment with amlodipine or felodipine alone. Patients aged > or =18 years with moderate essential hypertension (defined as mean sitting systolic blood pressure [MSSBP] > or =160 and <180 mmHg) were treated for 4 weeks with once-daily amlodipine 5 mg or felodipine 5 mg.