Phase IV, 9 Weeks Comparison Between MICARDIS 80 mg and Amlodipine 10 mg on Biological PPAR Gamma Activities

Inclusion Criteria: Patient written informed consent is signed prior to any trial specific procedures participation * male patients \> 18 years * Mean seated SBP \> 130mmHg and/or DBP \> 85mmHg treated with antihypertensive drug(s) * with at least 2 more criteria of metabolic syndrome (NCEPT III). Biological data available within 6 months prior to enrollment visit. * abdominal obesity \> 102 cm at screening * TG \> 1.5 g/l * HDL \< 0.4 g/l * Glycemia \> 6 mmol/l Exclusion Criteria: Patients with any of the following conditions will be excluded from trial: * confirmed type 1 or 2 diabetic patients treated or not * secondary hypertension * Mean seated SBP\>180 mmHg and/or DBP \>110 mmHg at screening * hepatic and/or renal dysfunction as defined by the following laboratory parameters at visit 1: * SGPT (ALT) or SGOT (AST) ¿ twice the upper limit of the normal range * serum creatinine ¿ 2.3 mg/dL (or 203 ¿mol/L) * bilateral renal artery stenosis or renal artery stenosis in a solitary kidney * patients post-renal transplant or with only one functioning kidney * clinically relevant hypokalemia or hyperkalemia at visit 1 * uncorrected volume or sodium depletion at visit 1 * primary aldosteronism * hereditary or known fructose intolerance * biliary obstructive disorders * patients who have previously experienced symptoms characteristic of angioedema during treatment with angiotensin-II receptor antagonists * history of drug or alcohol dependency within the previous six months * concurrent participation in another clinical trial or any investigational therapy within thirty days prior to signing the consent form * symptomatic congestive heart failure (New York Heart Academy (NYHA) functional class CHF II-IV) * unstable angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery less than three months prior to informed consent * stroke less than six months prior to informed consent * sustained ventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter or other clinically relevant arrhythmias as determined by the investigator * hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy, hemodynamically relevant stenosis of the aortic or mitral valve * known allergic hypersensitivity to any component of the formulations under investigation * concomitant therapy with lithium, cholestyramine or colestipol resins continued after visit 1