This issue of the Medical Clinics of North America brings the practicing clinician up to date on the current challenges, new concepts, and management of hypertensive disease. Topics covered include risks in hypertension; new biological concepts of target organ involvement in hypertension; hypertension and the metabolic syndrome; aging versus hypertension; hypertension, systolic blood pressure, and large arteries; oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, and hypertension; current thinking about hypertensive heart disease; diastolic dysfunction as a link between hypertension and heart failure; hypertension and cardiac failure in its various forms; hypertension and atherogenesis; the kidney, hypertension, and remaining challenges; current thinking about renovascular hypertension; obesity and hypertension; and barriers to adherence in hypertension management.