['To examine the history of hypertension (HT) in patients with parkinsonism (PS) of various causes.', 'Nine hundred twenty-three patients with PS listed in a citywide movement disorders registry. Hypertension was defined as blood pressure above 150/90 mm Hg on at least 2 occasions or a history of antihypertensive medication use.', 'Overall, 184 patients (20.6%) had a history of HT. Fifty-three (16.6%) of 320 patients with levodopa-responsive parkinsonism (PD) had a history of HT; similar prevalence of presymptomatic HT was seen for PS and dementia (22/165 [13.3%]), including probable diffuse Lewy body disease and multiple system atrophy of the nigrostriatal degenerative type (33/171 [19.3%]). Olivopontocerebellar atrophy (7/40 [18%]), corticobasal ganglionic degeneration (5/15 [33.3%]), drug-induced PS (9/38 [23.1%]), and the predominantly tremulous forms of Parkinson disease (17/43 [39.5%]) showed a higher prevalence of HT. Patients with familial PS (n = 36), early-onset PD (n = 14), multiple system atrophy of the Shy-Drager type (n = 11), and postencephalitic PS (n = 6) had no history of HT. In 100 patients with PS of various rare etiologies, a history of HT was seen in less than 5%. The highest prevalence of HT was seen in patients with clinically diagnosed progressive supranuclear palsy (n = 42), of whom 34 (81.0%) had a history of HT.'] Is presymptomatic hypertension a major feature in the diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy?