Selective alpha 1 adrenergic receptor blocking agents lower blood pressure by reducing the increased peripheral vascular resistance that characterizes essential hypertension. Prazosin and terazosin have been shown to be well tolerated in clinical practice and seldom cause impotence or metabolic abnormalities. The most common adverse effects--dizziness, headache, and asthenia--are generally well tolerated and infrequently lead to discontinuation of therapy. First-dose syncope can usually be avoided by initiating therapy with low doses administered at bedtime. Finally, the alpha 1 receptor antagonists do not adversely affect such cardiovascular risk factors as hypokalemia, serum lipid profile, and left ventricular hypertrophy. In fact, alpha 1 antagonists reduce total cholesterol and low-density-lipoprotein plus very-low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol and thus may contribute to the overall management of cardiovascular risk by blood pressure reduction and improvement of the serum lipid profile. Since the goal of treating chronic essential hypertension is to improve morbidity and mortality, the choice of therapy should be influenced by the agent's ability to modify as many risk factors as possible. Alpha 1 adrenoreceptor antagonists beneficially impact several cardiovascular risk factors and thus merit consideration as first-line antihypertensive therapy.