Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a growing problem in China as standards of living increase and the population ages. According to WHO statistics, deaths from cardiovascular disease caused by hypertension rose from 28.8% to 36% of total deaths from 1997 to 2002. Currently over 970 million people worldwide have hypertension. New classes of antihypertensive drugs have reduced mortality from related diseases, but they still cause 17 million deaths per year globally, with half from heart attacks and strokes. As diagnostic criteria and treatment have evolved in China, the market for antihypertensive medicines is of high interest.