Hypertension is termed the "silent killer" because many patients are asymptomatic. Chronic hypertension causes extensive arterial wall damage, which allows cholesterol to adhere to the damaged endothelial lining and produces increased cardiac stress. Hypertension dramatically increases the risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, renal damage, impaired vision, heart failure and overall mortality. Angiotensin II receptor blockers are a class of drugs used for the treatment of hypertension that not only decrease blood pressure, but also likely contribute to protecting hypertensive individuals from cardiac events, strokes and loss of renal function.