June 2026
A large proportion of individuals with arterial hypertension are unaware of their condition and therefore remain untreated. To overcome this problem, the 2024 European Society of Cardiology guidelines on elevated blood pressure and hypertension recommend that adults from age 18 have their blood pressure measured every third year, and from age 40 annual blood pressure measurement is recommended. When an elevated blood pressure is detected, the diagnosis of arterial hypertension requires confirmation by repeated office blood pressure measurement of out-of office blood pressure. This month’s paper provides details about how you con more efficiently screen for and diagnose hypertension based on recommendations from major international hypertension guidelines.
May 2026
The current ESC hypertension guidelines recommend looking for hypertension-mediated organ damage (HMOD) in the evaluation of patients with hypertension to identify high-risk individuals. Presence of HMOD is associated with 2-3 fold higher risk of cardiovascular disease, even among patients with blood pressure in the elevated range (120-139/70-89 mmHg). In hypertension, basic assessment is recommended in all patients, while more advanced tests are recommended in selected patients. To help clinicians make informed decisions on what type of test to choose for HMOD assessment in the individual patient, we compared the recommendations of the most important recently issued hypertension guidelines and included our best advice.
April 2026
Cuffless blood pressure monitoring devices represent one of the most promising yet controversial innovations in contemporary hypertension care. By enabling continuous, unobtrusive BP assessment, they hold the potential to transform diagnosis and long-term management. However, as highlighted by Parati et al., current technologies remain limited by insufficient accuracy, lack of standardized validation, and reliance on indirect physiological surrogates. Despite growing commercial availability, these devices cannot yet be recommended for clinical decision-making, in line with international guidelines. The challenge ahead is clear: rigorous validation and demonstration of clinical benefit must precede widespread adoption, ensuring that technological progress translates into meaningful improvements in cardiovascular outcomes.