We analysed the haemodynamic, metabolic and hormonal status at rest and in response to exercise, in young normotensive women with two hypertensive parents (FH++; n=17; 25.1±4.8 years), one hypertensive parent (FH+; n=18; 24.9±4.1 years) and normotensive parents (FH-; n=15; 25.3±3.8 years). Casual and ambulatorial blood pressure (BP), carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) and biochemistry were analysed. BP, nor-epinephrine (NE), epinephrine (EPI), endothelin-1 (ET-1) and nitrite/nitrate (NOx) levels were also analysed during a graded exercise test (GXT). Casual and ambulatorial BP were not different between groups, but PWV was 7.5 and 12.6% higher in FH++ than FH+ and FH-, respectively, and 4.8% higher in FH+ than FH- (P≤0.01). Insulin and insulin-to-glucose ratio were increased in FH++ and FH+ (P<0.05), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol tended to be higher only in FH++ (P=0.07). FH++ showed higher exercise and recovery diastolic BP and EPI levels, and increased resting, exercise and recovery NE, and ET-1 levels than FH- (P<0.05). FH+ showed only greater resting, exercise and recovery NE, and rest ET-1 (P<0.05). Resting, exercise and recovery NOx were lower in FH++ and FH+ than FH- (P<0.01). Haemodynamic, metabolic and hormonal abnormalities were presented in nonhypertensive young women offspring of hypertensive parents before any increase in BP. Greater abnormalities were observed in women with a strong family history of hypertension (FH++). These results suggest that there is an early vascular, metabolic and hormonal involvement in a familial hypertensive disorder.