The paper presents first results of the conducted in Russia large-scale study " REgularnoye Letcheniye I ProPHylaktika (Regular Treatment and Prevention)--the key to improvement of situation with cardiovascular diseases in Russia--RELIPH" on assessment of conformity of recommended by medical practitioners treatment of arterial hypertension (AH) and ischemic heart disease (IHD) to contemporary standards and compliance of patients to physician's recommendations. Local physicians/general practitioners (n=512) and their patients (n=2517) with AH and IHD from 20 cities of Russia participated in the study. The publication contains data on prevalence of risk factors in patients with AH and IHD, their knowledge, habits, skills, and amount of possessed medical information, as well as awareness of primary care physicians about actual problems of secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases.