Patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups. The 95 patients in Group I were advised to control weight, reduce sodium intake, modify dietary and alcohol intake and were removed from pharmacologic treatment. The 44 patients in Group II were removed from pharmacologic treatment, with no other intervention. The 48 patients in Group III were continued on pharmacologic treatment, with no other intervention. The primary endpoint was the proportion in Groups I and II with diastolic blood pressure less than or equal to 90 mm Hg in the absence of antihypertensive drugs. Secondary endpoints were average diastolic and systolic pressures.