Epidemiología de la hipertensión arterial en España. Situación actual y perspectivas

If the control of arterial hypertension (AHT) and other important risk factors do not improve, health care and economic burden of the resulting cardiovascular, renal and neurological diseases could increase substantially in the next decades due to the aging of the population and high prevalence of these risk factors. Truly, a certain degree of progress has been achieved in the control of AHT, but additional investigation and improvements are needed in the three areas of knowledge, treatment and control of AHT. In this article, it is postulated that the definition paradigm and management of ATH may be changing towards the concept of “blood pressure susceptible to treatment” (based on its values and cardiovascular risk). Finally, it must be remembered that prevention, above all primary prevention, that should also contemplate childhood and adolescence, should be strengthened for the health care system to be able to assume the costs involved in the burden and management of AHT.