Hypertension is recognized to be one of the major risk factors for the development of peripheral vascular disease. The last decade has witnessed several major advances in therapy for hypertension, including the development of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and calcium channel blockers. These compounds have greatly improved the ability to control blood pressure and to reduce the impact of this risk factor on morbidity and mortality. In spite of these advances, cardiovascular disease remains a major health problem in most modern industrialized countries with related deaths exceeding...