This proposed clinical trial, REACH, will enroll 538 persons with hypertension. All subjects will continue with their prescribed medications. Our main objective is to assess whether preventive e-counseling (provided through a website of the Heart and Stroke Foundation) improves blood pressure and cardiovascular risk status over a 12-month interval. REACH will also evaluate improvement in lifestyle behaviors that include diet, exercise, smoking, and adherence to prescribed medications. Finally, we will quantify the amount of e-counseling support that is required during REACH to evoke a significant reduction in blood pressure. It is hypothesized that e-Counseling (vs. Control) will significantly improve blood pressure and lifestyle behaviours at the 12-month assessment. The findings of this trial will provide information that is critical to our understanding of how internet-based programs can help to improve blood pressure and to reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age: 35-74 years
• Diagnosis of hypertension: Medication or physician confirmation
• Baseline BP in lab: >=140/90 (if no meds); >=130/85 (if on meds)
• If medications, prescription unchanged >=2 months Comprehension of English (oral and written)

Exclusion Criteria:

• diagnosis of clinically significant arrhythmia, sleep apnea, kidney disease, major psychiatric illness (eg. psychosis), alcohol or drug dependence in the previous year; institutional residence, or an inability to comprehend English