PASCAR commentary on the International Society of Hypertension global guidelines 2020: relevance to sub-Saharan Africa.

Hypertension guidelines have been based on country-specific data until the publication of the International Society of Hypertension (ISH) global guidelines. The major differences between the ISH global guidelines and other international guidelines are the stratified recommendations to accommodate differences in available resources between countries and within countries. This is a key and novel proposal in the new ISH guidelines. There is the separation of optimal versus essential criteria for diagnosis and treatment according to availability of resources. This guideline includes recommendations for sub-Saharan Africa. The Pan-African Society of Cardiology (PASCAR) continues to promote awareness and recommendations on hypertension in Africa. This commentary provides a summary and discussion of the global guidelines in order to clarify the position of PASCAR.