The benefits of the treatment of hypertension currently consist of a substantially reduced incidence of premature stroke, left ventricular failure and malignant hypertension. The benefits for the individual are most clearcut in those who have already had severe or symptomatic hypertension. Older subjects who have a higher risk of stroke and heart failure also show more immediate benefits in terms of stroke and heart failure reduction. However, in the community as a whole, mild hypertensives account for over half the cardiovascular deaths attributable to high blood pressure. In such patients a more systematic approach to the use of non-pharmacological measures for both control of blood pressure and coronary heart disease, coupled where necessary with the judicious use of existing and new antihypertensive and lipid lowering drugs, offers the prospect for a new era of prevention in relation to hypertensive cardiovascular disease.