Hypertension, otherwise termed “high blood pressure” is one of the world’s most prevalent diseases, affecting more than 30% of the adult population, and in excess of 1 billion people. Effective detection and treatment of hypertension is one of the foremost international public health challenges, directly linked to the deaths of more than 10 million people annually. As of 2019, more than half the people in the world did not know they had hypertension, and only 23% of women and 18% of men with hypertension were successfully treated. Hypertension remains a disease that has yet to be eradicated. Moreover, there are extremely large regional disparities in the prevalence, treatment, and control rates of hypertension.
We – ISH members together with other stakeholders, i.e. hypertension researchers, healthcare professionals and those in healthcare industry, governments and other organizations will strive to acquire the wisdom for conquering hypertension and reduce the burden of hypertension to zero as much as possible by the following actions:
-) To ensure that all people are made aware that hypertension is the leading cause of death for non-communicable diseases (NCDs)
-) To measure BP in all adults, increasing detection and awareness of elevated blood pressure
-) To encourage all people with “high normal” and elevated blood pressure to modify their lifestyle to reduce blood pressure and prevent or reduce the burden of hypertension (e.g. reduce salt intake, increase physical activity, maintain a healthy body weight, reduce alcohol consumption, maintain a healthy diet rich in fruit and vegetables etc.)
-) To promote initiation and control of hypertension with antihypertensive treatment when needed through 3 strategies:
+ Promoting availability of affordable blood pressure lowering treatments to all patients with hypertension around the globe
+ Circumventing “clinical inertia”
+ Improving patient medication adherence.
-) To promote environments where all people with elevated blood pressure can change their individual behaviours and reduce the level of stress with ease.
-) To fully understand the biological mechanisms of blood pressure regulation and the pathophysiology of hypertension through promoting highest quality research on hypertension.
-) To promote research and developments in the field of Food (nutritional environment), Move (exercise and fitness) and AI (artificial intelligence and digital transformation)
-) To nurture the development of new blood pressure monitoring strategies and systems for the purpose of improved prediction, blood pressure control and preventing hypertension-mediated organ damage.
We believe that a “community in which no one with hypertension is left behind” will benefit the overall welfare of societies and serve for sustainable well-being for all.
Maciej Tomaszewski
President
International Society of Hypertension
Hiroshi Itoh
President, Local Organizing Committee
ISH2022KYOTO
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The authors declare no competing interests.
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This article has been co-published in Cardiovascular Research.
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Tomaszewski, M., Itoh, H. ISH2022KYOTO Hypertension Zero Declaration. Hypertens Res 46, 1–2 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-022-01068-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-022-01068-y
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