The prevalence of arterial hypertension (HT) was investigated in 258 patients (171 m, 87 f, 22-68 years) with a history of primary stone disease. HT was detected in 64 patients (24.8%), with no difference between males (25.7%) and females (23.0%). The prevalence of HT by age was very similar to that of a general population, especially in the calcium stone group. The discriminant analysis demonstrated that the composition of stones, other than the age and body weight of the patients, were the main factors associated with HT. As far as the different kind of stone is concerned, the prevalence of HT was higher in patients with uric acid (17/37, 45.9%) and struvite stones (11/27, 40.7%) than in calcium stone formers (35/188, 18.6%) (chi 2 16.31, p < 0.001). The prevalence of hypercalciuria was higher in the calcium stone group than in uric acid or struvite stone patients (36.4 vs. 9.7 vs. 13.7%; chi 2 10.35, p < 0.01). Furthermore, the hypercalciuria showed a trend to be more prevalent in the untreated (47.0%) than in the treated (31.2%) hypertensives, or normotensives (35.1%). Uric acid stone formers were older, heavier and with higher triglycerides and uric acid plasma levels than calcium or struvite patients. Also the struvite stone formers were older than the calcium stone ones. Our data suggest that the prevalence of HT in kidney stone patients and particularly in calcium stone formers is similar to that of a general population. The role of hypercalciuria as the link for HT-urolithiasis association seems quite uncertain. Struvite and uric acid stone formers have higher risk for HT than calcium stone formers, probably due to the old age or to the associated metabolic abnormalities.