Cardiology, hypertension, and The Lancet

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This issue of The Lancet is printed in advance of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) meeting in Munich, Germany, which is to be held on Aug 25–29, 2012. The Lancet is strongly supportive of cardiology as can be seen from the substantial relevant content in this issue. Last year, The Lancet published more papers in this specialty than any other: cardiovascular research contributed about one in four of all published research papers. New drugs, procedures, and devices for hypertensionSuccessful treatment of hypertension is difficult despite the availability of several classes of antihypertensive drug, and the value of strategies to combat the effect of adverse lifestyle behaviours on blood pressure. In this paper, we discuss two promising therapeutic alternatives for patients with resistant hypertension: novel drugs, including new pharmacological classes (such as vasopeptidase inhibitors and aldosterone synthase inhibitors) and new molecules from present pharmacological classes with additional properties in blood-pressure or metabolism pathways; and new procedures and devices, including stimulation of arterial baroreceptors and catheter-based renal denervation. Full-Text PDF Diabetes and hypertension: the bad companionsHigh blood pressure is reported in over two-thirds of patients with type 2 diabetes, and its development coincides with the development of hyperglycaemia. Many pathophysiological mechanisms underlie this association. Of these mechanisms, insulin resistance in the nitric-oxide pathway; the stimulatory effect of hyperinsulinaemia on sympathetic drive, smooth muscle growth, and sodium–fluid retention; and the excitatory effect of hyperglycaemia on the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system seem to be plausible. Full-Text PDF Hypertension in developing countriesData from different national and regional surveys show that hypertension is common in developing countries, particularly in urban areas, and that rates of awareness, treatment, and control are low. Several hypertension risk factors seem to be more common in developing countries than in developed regions. Findings from serial surveys show an increasing prevalence of hypertension in developing countries, possibly caused by urbanisation, ageing of population, changes to dietary habits, and social stress. Full-Text PDF