VALERIA: Valsartan in Combination With Lisinopril in Hypertensive Patients With Microalbuminuria

Inclusion Criteria: * Patients with mild to moderate hypertension with a mean sitting diastolic blood pressure (MSDBP) \> 85 and \< 110 mmHg for non-treated patients. Previously treated patients with MSDBP \< 110 mmHg. Treated is defined as having taken medication until \< 2 days prior to Visit 1 * Positive urine spot test with Micral dipstick (detection of urinary albumin concentration of at least 50 mg/l) at Visit 1 (day -21). * Confirmation of MAU of at least 2 out of 3 measurements determined in the first morning urine samples performed at Visit 1 day-21), Visit 2 (day -14) or Visit 3 (day -7). MAU is defined for male patients as urinary albumin creatinine ratio (UACR) \> 2.5 mg/mmol and \< 25.0 mg/mmol and for female patients as UACR \> 3.5 mg/mmol and \< 35.0 mg/mmol at both visits. Exclusion Criteria: * Evidence of renal impairment as determined by any one of the following: * serum creatinine clearance \< 30 ml/min as determined by Cockroft and Gault formula \[Cockroft and Gault, 1976\] and/or * serum creatinine \> 1.25 x ULN at Visit 1, * a history of dialysis, or * a history of nephrotic syndrome. * Serum potassium values \<3.5 mmol/l or \>5.5 mmol/l at Visit 1 * Any medical condition which might significantly alter the urinary excretion of albumin Other protocol-defined exclusion criteria may apply.