Relationship between level of lipoprotein (a) and presence of ischemic heart disease (IHD) was studied in 191 patients with hypertensive disease (essential hypertension) (112 men, 79 women, age 56.9-/+10.6 years) and 33 patients with normal blood pressure (23 men, 10 women, age 50.8-/+11.0 years). Concentration of lipoprotein (a) in men with hypertension and IHD (n=62) was significantly higher than in men with hypertension without IHD (n=50) (median 19 and 9 mg/dl, respectively, p=0.02). Women with hypertension and with (n=23) and without (n=56) IHD had similar blood levels of lipoprotein (a) (median 13 and 15 mg/dl, respectively, p=0.89). Difference in lipoprotein (a) levels between patients with hypertensive disease and those with normal blood pressure was not significant (median 14 and 10 mg/dl, respectively, p=0.50).