6186 subjects (age > or = 40) from a cross sectional study named Dietary, Life Style and Chronic Diseases cooperated by Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine and BioSignia Inc. in 1997 were included in this analysis. The prevalence rate of hypertension and the dietary intakes were analyzed. The results showed that the prevalence rate was 44.8% in the corresponding, which were obviously increased compared with the results in 1991, and were higher than other areas in this same period in China. The dietary pattern was obviously unreasonable in this population. The prevalence rate of hypertension was higher in the population who eat less vegetable, fruit, fishes or eat more salted vegetable. And the results indicated that improving dietary pattern may be an inexpensive and effective way to prevent hypertension and to promote people's health in rural area.