Dear patients, dear colleagues, dear members of the society,
Following this year's change in the presidency of the Swiss Society of Hypertension, I would like to address some topics relevant to the society and highlight current projects and developments.
As you are aware, arterial hypertension is one of the most important and prevalent vascular risk factor for various diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, renal disease as well as neurovascular diseases, including dementia. Therefore, detecting hypertension and controlling blood pressure effectively over time is one of the most important measures for vascular health in many medical specialties. Therefore, approaching this topic on an interdisciplinary level on the one hand, in close collaboration with the primary care physicians and other disciplines such as nurse practitioners, pharmacists and dietary counselors on the other hand is the most likely way to achieve this important medical goal. The society is continuously following this integrative and interdisciplinary as well as interprofessional approach to further improve diagnosis and treatment of hypertension. Also, patient education and initiatives to raise public awareness of this important topic constitute a further aim of the society. Current ongoing activities of the society include regular teaching and education activities, publication of and comments on recent research activities and clinically relevant developments as well as support of young researchers in the field – for example via the annual publication prize of the society – to strengthen future innovations and developments.
In this context, the society plans to launch an interdisciplinary teaching curriculum – the Hypertension Masterclass – to present and promote all relevant current developments on various aspects of hypertension and blood pressure control, presented by specialists from all involved disciplines. The program will be open to all interested participants at various stage of their professional training, including young physicians and residents as well as primary care physicians involved in treating patients with hypertension.
With these and other activities, the society is committed to continue its work to support detection-control-education programs as it has done in the past and invites all interested professional stakeholders involved in this important medical field to join the society as active member.
Yours sincerely,
Prof. Nils Peters
