Diets low in sodium and fat, drugs having a sedative or hypotensive effect, and surgical intervention on the sympathetic nervous system are the principal measures which are available at the present time for the management of hypertensive cardiovascular disease. Since the cause of this disorder is unknown, none of these measures can be regarded as a specific form of treatment. Nevertheless, they have all been shown to be of some therapeutic value. Numerous articles have appeared in the literature in recent years, dealing with the effects of these measures on blood pressure levels and responses, on the cardiovascular system, and on symptoms. There is as yet, however, little information concerning the effect of treatment on life expectancy. This is due to the fact that it requires a long follow-up of large numbers of consecutive patients treated in a particular fashion, accompanied with suitable control data, in order to determine whether