Hypertension affects more than 1.4 billion people all over the world, leading to thousands of deaths each and every day. To help healthcare providers combat this fatal condition, the International Society of Hypertension (ISH) has released detailed guidelines for the treatment of hypertension.
The full guidance, “ISH 2020 Global Hypertension Practice Guidelines,” was published in both the Journal of Hypertension and Hypertension.
“Despite several initiatives, the prevalence of raised BP and adverse impact on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality are increasing globally, irrespective of income,” according to the document. “It is, therefore, critical that population-based initiatives are applied to reduce the global burden of raised BP, such as salt-reduction activities and improving the availability of fresh fruit and vegetables.”
The guidelines were specifically designed so that they could apply to patients from any country or socioeconomic group. They offer advice for both healthcare providers and patients affected by hypertension.
“We believe these simplified guidelines will be of use globally and may be of most use in countries that do not have their own national hypertension practice guidelines,” Richard Wainford, PhD, co-author of the document and an associate professor at Boston University School of Medicine, said in a prepared statement.
The organization had not issued global treatment guidelines for hypertension in seven years.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.