Effect of Two Doses of Olmesartan Medoxomil and Amlodipine on Vascular Markers in Hypertensive Patients With Metabolic Syndrome

Inclusion criteria

• Male and female Europeans at the age of 18 years or above with hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and modest inflammation
• Blood pressure greater than or equal to 130/85 mmHg AND
• hs-CRP greater than or equal to 1.0 and less than 10.0 mg/dL AND at least two (2) of the following traits of the metabolic syndrome (ATP III criteria):
• abdominal obesity: waist circumference greater than 102 cm for men and 88 cm for women;
• triglyceride level greater than or equal to 150 mg/dL; HDL less than 40 mg/dL for men and less than 50 mg/dL for women
• fasting blood glucose greater than or equal to 110mg/dL

Exclusion criteria

• Insulin depended diabetes or type-1 diabetes
• Severe or resistant hypertension
• Patients with secondary hypertension of any aetiology, such as renal disease, pheochromocytoma, or Cushing's syndrome
• Any acute or chronic inflammatory disease
• Constant use of lipid-lowering agents (eg statins, fibrates) for less than 3 months before study start
• Pregnant or lactating female patients of childbearing potential (prerequisite: adequate contraception);
• Patients with serious disorders which may limit the ability to evaluate the efficacy or safety of the trial drug(s)