• High blood pressure (hypertension) is the leading risk of death in both developed and developing countries worldwide, accounting for ∼62% of stroke and 49% of heart attack.

  • In Japan, there are about 40 million patients with hypertension, being equivalent to one third of general population and most common disease.

  • Elevated blood pressure accelerates the cardiovascular risk almost linearly even within normal range.

  • Prevention of hypertension makes it possible to stop stroke, heart attack and kidney disease, resulting in prolonged healthy life expectancy.

  • Lifestyle modification, especially with sodium intake restriction, is expected to suppress or reverse the increase in blood pressure with age.

  • It is important to stimulate the research to solve the precise mechanisms causing hypertension.

This statement represents a starting point for action toward the challenge for overcoming high blood pressure.

The 35th Scientific Meeting of the Japanese Society of Hypertension: 20–22 September 2012; Nagoya, Japan.