The aim of the study was the estimation of the lipid profile and prevalence of dyslipoproteinemia in patients with essential hypertension. The study group consisted of 108 outpatients (61 men and 47 women) with mild to moderate hypertension (HT), aged 35-64, who did not receive antihypertensive drugs for at least four weeks. The matched controls (MC) were randomly chosen for each HT patient from population of Warsaw inhabitants, covered by Pol-MONICA II screen. The concentrations of total cholesterol (CH) and triglycerides (TG) in serum and cholesterol in lipoprotein fractions and subfractions (LDL, HDL, HDL3) were measured by enzymatic methods. The levels of apolipoproteins (Apo A-I, Apo B) were estimated by immunoassay. Laboratory was under control of WHO-Lipid Reference Laboratory and CDC-NHLBI Lipid Standardization Program. In HT the concentration of cholesterol in LDL was significantly higher (p < 0.001) than in MC, both in men (by 15%) and in women (by 22%), but the concentrations of cholesterol in HDL and HDL3 and Apo A-I (in men only) were significantly lower (p < 0.001) in HT than in MC in men (by 21% and by 26%) as well in women (by 16% and by 25%). Also in HT group the mean levels of TG, CH and Apo B were higher than in MC, but these differences were significant only in TG level in men. In HT group the prevalence of normolipemia was twice lower than in MC (22% and 42%). Essential hypertension fractions is associated with abnormal levels of some lipoprotein fraction and with higher prevalence of hyperlipoproteinemia. The coexistence of both abnormalities may be particularly detrimental as important factor in the development of atherosclerosis.