Joint National Committee VII and European Society of Hypertension/European Society of Cardiology guidelines for evaluating and treating hypertension: a two-way road?

During the first half of the past year, guidelines for hypertension management issued by the Joint National Committee (JNC VII) and by the European Society of Hypertension in conjunction to the European Society of Cardiology (ESH/ESC) have been published in major scientific journals. This article reviews the main features and elements of novelty of these authoritative recommendations. It also highlights the major agreements and disagreements between the two sets of guidelines and their implications for daily clinical practice.