The Satellite Symposium of the 15th Meeting of the European Society of Hypertension focused on a number of key issues for the management of patients with a blood pressure elevation. The first issue was which strategies are regarded by the guidelines as effective in lowering blood pressure values. The second was how to adopt and implement them when dealing with the greater difficulties posed by the diabetic hypertensive patient, in whom the blood pressure threshold to initiate treatment is lower, as are the blood pressure targets for treatment. The third issue was whether to include, as suggested by guidelines, improvement in organ damage as a treatment goal, with emphasis on regression of endothelial dysfunction, that is, the first step in the cascade of events that lead to atherosclerosis. Finally, the fourth was whether and how to make use of, as the initial treatment step, low-dose combination of two drugs such as perindopril and indapamide, a strategy indicated by the guidelines as a favourable alternative to initiation with monotherapy because of (1) a reduction in side effects with a resulting improvement in patient compliance with chronic drug use as well as a greater chance of persistent blood pressure control and (2) a shortening of the time interval necessary for the patient to have an adequate blood pressure reduction with a more timely protection against cardiovascular disease, particularly in high-risk individuals. The proceedings of the Symposium include all this plus an update of the Action in Diabetes and Vascular disease: PreterAx and DiamicroN MR Controlled Evaluation (ADVANCE) trial, that is, the largest and longest trial on diabetic patients, which will substantially expand our knowledge both on the epidemiological and the treatment aspects of this condition. Diabetes is becoming more and more important for clinical medicine because its prevalence is increasing all over the world, in some instances reaching epidemic proportions. Furthermore, hypertension and diabetes often coexist with a very high cardiovascular risk profile of the patients affected.

The symposium involved speakers recognised worldwide for their expertise whose presentations generated great interest among the audience and stimulated an exciting discussion. I am sure that this will be conveyed by the Proceedings as well, which will be attractive and interesting to the readers.