Hypertension - state of the art 2015.

A conference organised in conjunction with the British Hypertension Society at the Royal College of Physicians (London) assembled an expert panel to present recent advances in the understanding and management of hypertension - the leading reversible risk factor for global morbidity and mortality. Despite recognised therapeutic approaches, less than half of patients on treatment for hypertension achieve blood pressure control to international guideline-based targets. This failure may, in part, be due to uncertainty into optimum treatment strategies, and the PATHWAY studies reporting later this year will hopefully address some outstanding questions relating to the standardised ABCD approach to drug selection. Targeting degradation of natriuretic peptides by LCZ696 (a combination of valsartan and a neutral endopeptidase inhibitor) has demonstrated potential as a novel therapeutic option, with mortality benefits in heart failure beyond that solely attributable to its blood pressure lowering ability. However, critical to any therapeutic strategy is patient involvement, and it is clear that the delivery of patient-centric treatment options is vital to ensure adherence with medication and to facilitate healthier lifestyle decisions. © Royal College of Physicians 2016. All rights reserved.