Purpose: To determine prevalence and associated factors of ocular hypertension in the adult Chinese population. Methods: The Beijing Eye Study, a population-based prevalence study. included 4439 subjects out of 5324 subjects with an age of 40+ years invited to participate (response rate 83.4%). From the 4439 individuals. 4224 (95.2%) subjects fulfilled file inclusion criteria of the present study, that is, available readable optic disc photographs. a nonglaucomatous appearance of the optic disc, and a normal visual field in the case of an intraocular pressure higher than 21 mm Hg. The participants underwent an interview. a detailed ophthalmic examination, blood pressure measurements. and examination of blood samples. Ocular hypertension was defined as an intraocular pressure higher than 21 mm fig with a normal appearance of the optic nerve head and no defects in frequency doubling perimetry. Results: Ocular hypertension was detected in 299 (3.6%) eyes (prevalence rate: 3.63% +/- 0.21%) of 160 (3.8%) subjects (prevalence rate: 3.79% +/- 0.29%). In multiple regression analysis, ocular hypertension was significantly associated with serum levels of cholesterol [P = 0.006: odds ratio (OR): 1.34; 95% confidence interval (Cl): 1.09-1.64]. presence of diabetes mellitus (P = 0.03: OR: 1.45: 95% Cl: 1.04-2.07) and arterial hypertension (P < 0.001: OR: 3.18: 95% Cl: 1.86-5.43). Ocular hypertension was not significantly associated with age, sex, urban or rural region, refractive error, anterior chamber depth, optic disc area, and area of 0 zone of parapapillary atrophy. Conclusions: Ocular hypertension has a frequency of about 3.6% in the adult Chinese population with an age of 40+ years. Associated factors are diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, and elevated serum cholesterol levels. Diabetes mellitus. arterial hypertension, and elevated serum cholesterol concentrations should be checked in ocular hypertensive subjects.