Telmisartan/Amlodipine (80/5) vs. Telmisartan/Amlodipine (40/5) vs. Amlodipine 10 or 5 in Resistant Hypertension

Inclusion Criteria:

1. patients aged at least 18 years at the date of signing the consent form

2. diagnosis of essential hypertension and blood pressure not adequately controlledbefore enrolment in the study

3. failure to respond adequately to six weeks treatment with amlodipine 5 mg monotherapy

4. able to stop any current antihypertensive therapy without unacceptable risk to thepatient (Investigator's decision)

5. willing and able to provide written informed consent (in accordance with Good ClinicalPractice and local legislation).

Exclusion Criteria:

1. are not practising acceptable means of birth control or do not plan to continue usingacceptable means of birth control throughout the study and do not agree to submit topregnancy testing during participation in the trial. Acceptable methods of birthcontrol include the transdermal patch, oral, implantable or injectable contraceptives,sexual abstinence and vasectomised partner.

2. known or suspected secondary hypertension

3. mean seated systolic blood pressure (SBP) over 200 mmHg and/or mean seated diastolicblood pressure (DBP) over 120 mmHg at Visit 1 or 2 or mean seated SBP over 180 mmHgand/or mean seated DBP over 120 mmHg at the end of the run-in period (Visit 3)

4. any clinically significant hepatic impairment (e.g. clinically significantcholestasis, biliary obstructive disorder or hepatic insufficiency)

5. severe renal impairment (e.g. serum creatinine >3.0 mg/dL or >265 mcmol/L, knowncreatinine clearance <30mL/min or clinical markers of severe renal impairment)

6. bilateral renal artery stenosis or renal artery stenosis in a solitary kidney orpost-renal transplant

7. clinically relevant hyperkalaemia

8. uncorrected volume or sodium depletion.

9. primary aldosteronism.

10. hereditary fructose or lactose intolerance