A urban population, localized in Cáceres (Mato Grosso - Brazil) was surveyed with the aim of screening the prevalence of arterial hypertension using the WHO criteria of classification. Blood pressure determinations were obtained in a population of 485 males and 766 females with age varying from 10 to 75 years. The prevalence of arterial hypertension was 12.2% for the study group and was of 34.5% in females and only 26.4% in males above 40 years of age. It was also noted that for both sexes the prevalalence increased with age. The number of patients aware of their condition was very low (8.5% of females and 12.7 of males) and rare were those with blood pressure was under control by treatment.