To Find Out Whether Valsartan With or Without Other Blood Pressure Medications Would Improve the Ability of the Heart to Fill and Empty, and the Ability of the Heart Muscle to Relax Adequately in People With High Blood Pressure.

A Multi-center, Randomized, Placebo-controlled, Double-blind Study to Evaluate the Effect of the Angiotensin II Antagonist Valsartan on Diastolic Function in Patients With Hypertension and Diastolic Dysfunction

Patients who have had high blood pressure for a long time may have diastolic dysfunction. Diastolic Dysfunction is when your heart has difficulty filling and emptying, and relaxing adequately.

This study is to find out if Valsartan) will improve the ability of the heart to fill, empty, and relax appropriately when given alone or with other medicines to treat high blood pressure.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Diagnosis/History of high blood pressure
• Male or Female age 45 years or older

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of stroke, transient ischemic attack or heart attack within the last 6 months
• A hospital admission for congestive heart failure within the last year
• Use of certain high blood pressure medications such as ACE inhibitors, Angiotensin Receptor Blockers or aldosterone antagonists or other agents that may work in the same pathway (RAAS) as valsartan within the past 3 months.

Other protocol-defined exclusion criteria may apply.