OBJECTIVES: To assess prevalence, awareness, and control of hypertension in a Latino population in Los Angeles County, CA, USA. METHODS: Data included 6118 subjects and were obtained from the Los Angeles Latino Eye Study (LALES), a population-based study originally developed to assess the prevalence of eye disease and self-reported visual functioning in Latinos aged 40 or more years. Hypertension history was reported by participants and blood pressure clinical values were assessed by two measurements during a clinical exam. Subjects self-reporting hypertension were defined as aware of their condition and were considered controlled if measured blood pressure values were, on average, lower than 140/90mmHg or 130/80mmHg for diabetics. T-tests and Chi-square tests were used to test for significant differences between groups on demographic, socioeconomic and access to care variables. RESULTS: In this population, prevalence of hypertension was 42.4% (2592/6118). Prevalence was not statistically different between men and women (p=0.6773) but increased with age (p<0.0001). Univariate analyses showed that the percentage of subjects with hypertension also differed significantly (p<0.05) by obesity status, number of comorbidities, place of birth, marital and employment statuses, acculturation, education and income levels, and by access to care variables (usual clinic, doctor and health insurance). Seventy-two percent of people with hypertension were aware of it (1855/2592). Awareness was significantly higher among women (76% vs. 64%, p<0.0001) but increased with age in men (p<0.0001). Awareness also varied by number of comorbidities, place of birth, employment status, and access to care variables. Finally, only 22% (420/1855) of subjects aware of having high blood pressure were considered as controlled after measurements of clinical values. CONCLUSIONS: Almost 75% of subjects with hypertension were aware of it. However, control rate was relatively low in this Latino population, suggesting a need for community-based programs targeting hypertensives unaware of their diagnosis.