Hypertension is more prevalent in Black than white men, and is more prevalent in men than women. Furthermore, even controlling for blood pressure, concentric left ventricular hypertrophy, an early structural adaptation of hypertension, is more prevalent in Black than white men, and more prevalent in men than women. Concentric left ventricular hypertrophy is the strongest predictor, other than age, of the cardiovascular morbidity associated with high blood pressure.