Introduction: Arterial hypertension seems to have an impact on mental health, and there are no longitudinal studies in our context that have evaluated this association. Objective: To evaluate the association between hypertension and changes in the levels of perceived stress in adults aged 30-69 years in the Tumbes region. Materials and Methods: Secondary analysis of data from a longitudinal population-based study. The dependent variable was the level of perceived stress assessed by Cohen's 14-item scale (low, medium and high according to tertiles), whereas the presence of arterial hypertension, the independent variable, was defined according to JNC-7 criteria. The association of interest was assessed both at the beginning of the cohort and during follow-up using crude and adjusted Poisson regression models in both cases. Results: Of the 1609 participants, mean age 48.2 (SD: 10.6), 810 (5...