Low-dose Nifedipine-Valsartan Combination Compared to Up-titrated Valsartan Monotherapy in Essential Hypertension

Inclusion Criteria: * Men and women aged 18 - 75 years * Essential hypertension not well controlled by current low dose (80 mg) valsartan monotherapy for at least 4 weeks. Patients on prior treatment with monotherapy diuretic, ACE-I or beta blocker or an ARB other than valsartan and switched to the current low dose valsartan 80 mg monotherapy for at least 4 weeks are also eligible, provided the hypertension is still not well controlled. * Office systolic blood pressure (sitting) \>140 mmHg (sitting for \>/= 5 min., no cigarettes and/or coffee/tea for \>/=30 min. before BP measurement). * BMI \<33 kg/m2 Exclusion Criteria: * Participation in any clinical investigational drug study within the previous 12 weeks * Concomitant treatments with: 1. Any anti-hypertensive treatment other than Valsartan 80 mg 2. Cytochrome P450-3A4 inhibitors or inducers 3. Potassium-sparing diuretics * Severe hypertension (DBP \>/= 110 mm Hg and/or SBP \>/= 180 mm Hg) and/or evidence of secondary forms of hypertension * Any of the following cardiovascular diseases: * History of cardiovascular shock * Myocardial infarction or unstable angina within the previous 6 months * Severe cardiac valve disease * Past or present severe rhythm or conduction disorder. * Cerebrovascular ischemic event and/or history of intracerebral hemorrhage or subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) within the previous 12 months * Type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus * Proteinuria * Uncorrected hypokalemia or hyperkalemia, sodium depletion and/or hypovolemia * Gastrointestinal disease resulting in the potential for malabsorption and/or severe gastro-intestinal tract narrowing; kock pouch (ileostomy after proctocolectomy) * Cholestasis or biliary obstruction * Liver disease or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) / alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels \>3 x upper limits of normal (ULN) * Renal failure, creatinine level \>2.0 mg/dl