Open research questions in Blood Pressure and Hypertension Studies

What the literature leaves open

• Conversely, limited knowledge may result in delayed health-seeking behavior, poor compliance with antenatal services, and unhealthy lifestyle practices, which can increase the risk of hypertension during pregnancy (23,24).

  The Correlation Between Knowledge Levels Regarding Gestational Hypertension and Its Prevalence: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Pregnant Women · 2026 · DOI

• 8 Strengths and Limitations This study benefited from a structured, previously used data collection tool, direct interviewer administration, which minimized missing data, and simultaneous three distinct barrier domains with assessment of quantification of their relative strength of association through odds ratios and confidence intervals, allowing the domains to be ranked by clinical importance rather than considered in isolation. Limitations of this study include its relatively modest sample size and the potential for social desirability and recall bias, along with linguistic bias, inherent to self-reported, interview-based data collection.

  BARRIERS OF EFFECTIVE HYPERTENSION MANAGEMENT AMONG PATIENTS ATTENDING PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CENTERS IN MOSUL · 2026 · DOI

• 1 Hypertension awareness and prevention programs should be conducted regularly for medical students to reinforce existing knowledge. 2 Universities should encourage students to monitor their blood pressure routinely through periodic on-campus screening activities. 3 Educational sessions should emphasize less-recognized hypertension risk factors, including excessive salt intake, obesity, physical inactivity, and stress. 4 Greater attention should be given to teaching the complications of uncontrolled hypertension to address existing misconceptions. 5 Health promotion campaigns should encourage healthy lifestyle behaviors, including regular physical activity, smoking avoidance, and reduced dietary salt intake. 6 Faculty members and healthcare professionals should continue serving as reliable sources of evidence-based health education for students. 7 Practical training on cardiovascular disease prevention should be incorporated into the medical curriculum.

  Knowledge and Awareness of Hypertension amongst Medical Students of Rokhan University · 2026 · DOI

• 1 Limitations This study employed a cross-sectional study design, which provides a snapshot of chil- dren and adolescents’ knowledge, attitudes, risk perception, and preventive practices towards hypertension at a single point in time. The study concludes that children and adolescents have limited awareness of hyperten- sion, with gaps in knowledge, risk perception, and preventive practices.

  Knowledge, attitude, perception, and preventive practices toward hypertension among children and adolescents in Ibadan, Southwestern, Nigeria · 2026 · DOI

• This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrates that adding a single intervention— either pharmacological therapy or RDN—to guideline-directed background treatment with a triple SPC is insufficient to achieve BP control in most patients with RHTN. Overall, only approximately one-third of patients attain adequate BP control with this approach. These findings underscore the need for future research and clinical practice to move beyond single add-on therapies and adopt combination treatment strategies that integrate optimized pharmacological regimens beyond the standard triple SPC with device-based interventions. Such an integrated approach should be evaluated in future clinical trials and may offer more effective and durable BP control in this particularly challenging patient population.

  Single Interventions (Pharmacological or Renal Denervation) Are Not Sufficient to Achieve Blood Pressure Control in Resistant Hypertension a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis · 2026 · DOI

• Additionally, there are indices such as morning surge for which there is no consensus on how to calculate them, complicating their assess- ment as important predictors for CV events [11].

  Machine learning–driven integration of 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure and its variability · 2026 · DOI

• BackgroundHypertension is a modifiable risk factor for dementia, yet the comparative effectiveness of angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) versus angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) on dementia risk remains uncertain.

  Effect of initiating an ARB- versus ACEI-based regimen on dementia risk, a target trial emulation of 2.5 million US Veterans · 2026 · DOI

• (I). Yoga as a Lifestyle Intervention www.wjahr.com │ Volume 10, Issue 7, 2026 │ ISO 9001:2015 Certified Journal │ 156 Manivannan et al. World Journal of Advance Healthcare Research (II). Integration in Healthcare Programs (III). Preventive Health Strategy (IV). School and College Level Implementation 15. REFERENCES 1. Cramer, H., Lauche, R., Langhorst, J., Dobos, G., & Michalsen, A. (2014). Effects of yoga on cardiovascular disease risk factors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. International Journal of Cardiology, 173(2): 170–183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcard.2014.02.008⁠ Innes, K. E., & Vincent, H. K. (2007). The influence of yoga-based programs on risk profiles in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 4(4): 469–486. https://doi.org/10. 2. 4. of yoga practices 3. Damodaran, A., Malathi, A., Patil, N., Shah, N., Suryavansihi, M., & Marathe, S. (2002). Therapeutic potential in modifying cardiovascular risk profile in middle aged men and women. Journal of the Association of Physicians of India, 50: 633–640. Innes, K. E., Bourguignon, C., & Taylor, A. G. (2005). Risk indices associated with the insulin resistance syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and possible protection with yoga: A systematic review. The Journal of the American Board of Family Practice, 491–519. 18(6): https://doi.org/10.3122/jabfm.18.6.491 5. Yang, K., Wu, X., Li, Z., et al. (2015). Effect of yoga on glycaemic control in prediabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Complementary and 298.

  INFLUENCE OF YOGA PRACTICE ON SELECTED BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS IN HYPERTENSIVE MEN AGED 40–60 · 2026 · DOI

• Future research is recommended to employ longitudinal or experimental study designs to better examine causal relationships between knowledge, behavior, and hypertension outcomes, as well as to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of community-based behavioral intervention programs in rural populations. The statistical analysis showed that knowledge alone was insufficient to influence behavioral change (p = 0.

  The Relationship Between the Level of Knowledge and Community Behavior Towards the Incident of Hypertension in Sumberngepoh Village, Lawang District, Malang Regency · 2026 · DOI

• These findings that provide valuable baseline data for quality improvement initiatives contribute to the limited literature on hypertension management in Madagascar and sub-Saharan Africa, and demonstrate that evidence-based, guideline-concordant cardiovascular care is attainable in resource-limited settings; future research should employ longitudinal multicenter designs to assess treatment evolution, medication adherence, and outcomes across primary care and rural settings.

  Antihypertensive Regimens in Stabilized Hypertensive Patients at a Malagasy Tertiary Hospital · 2026 · DOI

• Several limitations warrant consideration. The cross-sectional design precludes causal inference and does not capture the temporal evolution of treatment regimens or long-term outcomes; longitudinal studies would be needed to assess the impact of treatment intensification on cardiovascular events and mortality. The very small monotherapy group limited statistical power for that subgroup, as well as the number of smokers (n=1). Although drug class frequencies and combination patterns were documented, individual molecule-level data (e.g., specific ARB or ACEI molecules) were not systematically recorded, precluding comparison at the molecular level, an important limitation given the documented differences in prescribing patterns at the molecular level across African countries. Recruitment from a single specialized cardiology department limits generalizability to primary care or rural settings, and the six-month study period may not reflect seasonal prescribing variations.

  Antihypertensive Regimens in Stabilized Hypertensive Patients at a Malagasy Tertiary Hospital · 2026 · DOI

• While Left Ventricular Hypertrophy is a clearly a strong and independent predictor for coronary disease, it remains to be shown that a lower risk for coronary morbid events exists in patients whose Left Ventricular Hypertrophy has undergone regression over and above that attribute to blood pressure reduction.

  REVIEW ON HYPERTENSION AND ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS · 2026 · DOI

• Health education on hypertension should integrate family-centered behavioral coun- selling and targeted lifestyle interventions addressing physical activity and weight man- agement. Familiarity-induced complacency among the individuals with positive family history should be dealt with health education. Future research utilizing validated Health Belief Model constructs is recommended to have a comprehensive overview on behav- ioral changes in South Asian population.

  Self-care practices and perceived social support among adults with hypertension attending an urban health training centre in Hyderabad, India · 2026 · DOI

• The study’s cross-sectional design hinders the inference of causality. Due to the use of self-report measures for data collection, social desirability bias is notable, and mea- surement precision may be affected by recall bias. Adherence bias might be present and future studies can take short interval follow-ups to address the adherence more accurately. As the participants were included from health seeking individuals in a Pokkuluri et al. Discover Public Health (2026) 23:1014 Page 10 of 12 Fig. 1 Hypertension self care practices (SCPs)—health belief model [35]. Legends: Constructs that were directly measured in the study are indicated by solid green boxes, while theoretical HBM constructs that were not mea- sured but are suggested for further research are indicated by dashed grey boxes. All four perceptual constructs are influenced by modifying variables (red arrows); perceived seriousness and susceptibility (black arrows) combine to form perceived danger; and the chance of practicing appropriate self-care is influenced by all four perceptual constructs (blue arrows) hospital-based facility, the sample may not be able to represent the general population with hypertension, which limits external validity.

  Self-care practices and perceived social support among adults with hypertension attending an urban health training centre in Hyderabad, India · 2026 · DOI

• The screening was done utilizing routine health camps, the possibility of participants consuming tea, coffee, or tobacco before the blood pressure measurement could not be ruled out. Due to cross-sectional nature of the study and camp based approach selection bias could have been present hence sample may not be generalizable to all industrial workers. Healthy worker effect cannot be ruled hence may have missed the actual dis- eased population.

  Camp based screening for hypertension among industrial workers in Haryana India · 2026 · DOI

• Multiple BP measurements taken on a single oc- casion do not allow for the diagnosis of hypertension according to current guideline recommendations, as many such individuals may not have sufficiently elevated BP values to establish a definitive diagnosis of hypertension under these conditions. Therefore, confirmatory measurements on separate occasions are required, similar to repeated office BP assess- ments conducted over several visits. Furthermore, despite efforts to standardize BP measurement con- ditions, readings may have been influenced by ex- ternal factors specific to the circumstances in which measurements were performed, potentially affecting the accuracy of recorded BP values. In previous publications from the MMM pro- gram [8–10], the reported results included the individuals unaware of their proportion of 16 arterial hypertension 2026, vol. 30, e01826001www.ah.viamedica.pl hypertension; thus, the hypertensive group in those studies comprised both participants with previously diagnosed hypertension and those without a prior diagnosis who met the criteria for hypertension during the measurements done on a single occasion in the survey. Accordingly, in the MMM reports, elevated BP values obtained from several measure- ments on a single occasion — with the average BP value consistent with the hypertension range — were accepted as a proxy indicator of hyperten- sion for the purpose of classifying participants as hypertensive or non-hypertensive. In contrast, the authors of the present report adopted a different approach. For comparison of the current results with previous MMM editions, only individuals with a self-reported history of hypertension were included, whereas those with “unawareness” of hypertension — who were clas- sified as hypertensive in the MMM publications [8–10] — were not included. As a result, the pro- portions presented in Table 5 for participants re- ceiving antihypertensive medications and for those with BP < 140/90 mm Hg in the MMM editions (2018, 2019, and 2021) were recalculated relative to the number of participants with a self-reported history of hypertension, rather than to the overall number of participants categorized as hypertensive in the original MMM reports. Due to the opportunistic nature of the study, the population assessed may not have been ful- ly representative of the general Polish population. It is likely that individuals most interested in their own health were more inclined to participate. As a result, their awareness of cardiovascular risk fac- tors, their approach to risk control, and their actu- al degree of risk factor management — including hypertension — may differ from those observed in the general population and among all individuals with hypertension. One example of such a differ- ence is the relatively low proportion of participants reporting alcohol consumption. In the present study, 67.5% of respondents reported abstaining from alcohol, 22.5% reported drinking 1–3 times per month, and only 9.9% reported consuming al- cohol once per week or more often. By comparison, in the 2019 MMM edition, 37.2% of participants reported abstinence, 59.1% consumed alcohol 1–3 times per month, and 3.5% reported drinking once per week or more often [9].

  Preliminary data from the nationwide blood pressure control program in Poland in 2025 — MISSION 50/30 · 2026 · DOI

• This audit has several limitations. It was conducted in selected facilities under the Regional Director of Health Services, Colombo, and may not represent all primary care institutions in Sri Lanka. Observations were limited to the audit period and may have been influenced by routine clinic workload, staff availability, and facility-specific arrangements. Since the audit was based on direct observation, the presence of observers may have influenced staff behavior, although observation during routine service delivery was used to reduce this effect. Another limitation is that the audit assessed adherence to the measurement process rather than clinical outcomes. The audit did not evaluate whether incorrect measurement practice led to specific treatment changes or patient-level blood pressure control outcomes. In addition, facility-level comparison was affected by non-standard patient-led measurement at one facility, which was considered qualitatively rather than included in the quantitative adherence table. Despite these limitations, the audit provides useful facility-level evidence for quality improvement because it identifies specific, observable, and correctable gaps in routine blood pressure measurement practice.

  Clinical audit on blood pressure measurement practices using the simple app in primary care institutions under the regional director of health services, Colombo, Sri Lanka · 2026 · DOI

• This research possesses several key strengths. First, the primary analysis was based on NHANES, a large nationally representative survey of the US population, and all analyses accounted for the complex multistage sampling design. Second, the study comprehensively adjusted for demographic, socioeconomic, clinical, lifestyle, PA, and dietary covariates, thereby reducing potential confounding as much as possible. Third, subgroup, threshold effect, and ROC analyses were performed to assess the robustness and discriminatory performance of METS-VF. Importantly, we further conducted an independent external validation analysis using the CHARLS cohort. In 18 ARTICLE IN PRESS ARTICLE IN PRESS this external validation cohort, METS-VF retained the highest discriminatory ability for hypertension among the evaluated indices, and logistic regression analyses showed a directionally consistent positive association between METS-VF and hypertension. These findings strengthen the robustness and external validity of the association between METS-VF and hypertension. Several limitations should be acknowledged. First,Although we added an independent external validation analysis using the CHARLS cohort, several limitations should be acknowledged. CHARLS mainly includes middle-aged and older Chinese adults, whereas NHANES represents a broader US adult population. Therefore, differences in age structure, ethnicity, lifestyle, and healthcare context may influence the absolute AUC estimates. Second, the sample data are cross-sectional, and the results are not causally related. Third, the METS-VF is an indirect formula to estimate visceral fat load and is not a direct imaging measurement, which is susceptible to measurement error and could influence the accuracy of the findings. Fourthly, the data on physical activity and related past medical history are evaluated through self-reported questionnaire data, which may be affected by recall bias and incorrect classification. Antihypertensive medication use was not included as a separate diagnostic criterion in the primary definition of hypertension. Fifth, although self-reported physician-diagnosed hypertension may capture most clinically diagnosed cases, some participants with medication-controlled blood pressure may have been misclassified. Therefore, potential outcome misclassification cannot be fully excluded. Meanwhile, because the final analytical cohort was restricted to participants with complete fasting 19 ARTICLE IN PRESS ARTICLE IN PRESS laboratory data and complete covariate information, potential selection bias cannot be fully excluded. Participants included in the fasting subsample or complete-case analysis may differ from excluded participants in demographic characteristics, metabolic status, health behaviors, or comorbidity profiles. Therefore, although NHANES sampling weights were applied to improve national representativeness, the findings should be interpreted as representative of the eligible fasting analytical population rather than the entire original NHANES population. Finally, although we have made additional adjustments to the physical activity situation, residual confounding factors related to cardiopulmonary function and muscle strength still cannot be completely excluded.

  Association between METS-VF and hypertension in U.S.: a cross-sectional analysis of NHANES data · 2026 · DOI

• The future of hypertension management is increasingly focused on advanced, integrated, and preventive approaches rather than simple blood pressure control. Digital and AI-based hypertension care is emerging as a key strategy, involving remote blood pressure monitoring, artificial intelligence–driven prediction models, and personalized risk assessment to improve early diagnosis and long-term management. The concept of digital hypertension, emphasized by researchers like Kario K, includes smart platforms and wearable technologies that enhance patient adherence and enable continuous monitoring. In parallel, novel therapeutics are being developed, including RNA interference drugs such as Zilberman studied by Desai AS, which target the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system for long-lasting blood pressure control. Other promising treatments include aldosterone inhibitors like bacteriostat and long-acting injectable therapies that may reduce dosing frequency and improve compliance. Furthermore, precision medicine is shaping the future of hypertension care by enabling genomic and biomarker-based treatment strategies, allowing clinicians to set patient-specific blood pressure targets for more effective outcomes. Early detection and population screening are also gaining importance, particularly through the integration of wearable health devices and large-scale community-based screening programs, especially in low-income countries where hypertension often remains undiagnosed. Lifestyle and public health interventions continue to play a critical role, with emphasis on salt reduction strategies (especially relevant in countries like India), diet-based prevention models, and behavioral interventions aimed at reducing risk factors. Finally, there is a growing shift toward a multisystem disease prevention approach, where the goal is not only to control blood pressure but also to prevent major complications such as heart failure, stroke, and chronic kidney disease, thereby reducing overall morbidity and mortality associated with hypertension. REFERENCE 1. Kario, K., Hoshide, S., & Mogi, M. (2026). Up-to-date hypertension management in the post-guideline era: ending “implementation hypertension”. Hypertension Research, 1-4. 2. Dedy, H. B., & ALZubaidy, A. B. (2026). Infection Risk and Chronic Diseases: An Epidemiological Framework. 3. Siontis, G. C., Coles, B., Häner, J. D., McGovern, L., Bartkowiak, J., Coughlan, J. J.,... & www.wjppr.com Vol. 03, Issue 05, 2026 261 Payal et al. World Journal Of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Research CORE-MD Investigators. (2024).

  SURVEY REPORT ON HYPERTENSION PATIENT · 2026 · DOI

• The strengths of the current SRMA lie in its focus on Indian adult hypertensive populations, inclusion of RCT evidence, and consistent direction of benefit across interventions. However, the present review has certain limitations. Several included studies had relatively small sample sizes and variable methodological quality, which may affect the robustness and generalizability of the findings. The inclusion of a few quasi- experimental and non-randomized studies further increases the potential risk of bias. Additionally, heterogeneity in intervention duration, intensity, and implementation protocols limited direct comparability across studies. Variations in study design, including the inclusion of both randomized and non-randomized studies without extensive stratified analysis, may also have contributed to methodological heterogeneity. Furthermore, limited reporting of long-term cardiovascular outcomes restricts the ability to assess the sustained effectiveness of the interventions over time.

  A Comparison Between Lifestyle Interventions and Usual Care Among Indian Adults With Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis · 2026 · DOI

• Future trials should adopt standardized BP measurement protocols and longer follow-up. Lifestyle modification should be emphasized as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy in Indian hypertension care. Yoga- based interventions may offer low-cost and feasible strategies within national programs targeting non- communicable diseases, alongside other interventions. Further high-quality multicentric RCTs are needed to establish optimal intervention packages for Indian settings.

  A Comparison Between Lifestyle Interventions and Usual Care Among Indian Adults With Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis · 2026 · DOI

• Our study possesses notable methodological strengths. We employed a comprehensive cardiovascular assessment protocol, including transthoracic echocardiography conducted by trained sonographers blinded to HIV status, adhering to established international guidelines. This rigorous approach enhances the validity of our LVH diagnosis. The cohort design, which included both PLWH and PWTH from the same clinical setting, enabled a direct comparative analysis of determinants within a population facing a high dual burden of infectious and non-communicable diseases. A principal strength of this work is the explicit sex-stratified analysis, which moves beyond reporting sex as a mere covariate to elu- cidate distinct risk profiles, addressing a critical gap in the literature concerning cardiovascular morbidity in sub-Saharan Africa. Several limitations warrant consideration. First, the cross-sectional design of this study limits the ability to establish temporal relationships or infer causality between the identified factors and LVH. The observed associations should there- fore be interpreted as correlational rather than causal. It is not possible to determine whether the identified risk factors preceded the development of LVH or arose as a consequence of underlying cardiovascular changes. Longitudinal studies are required to clarify temporal sequencing and causal pathways. Second, the use of a purposive, non-probability sam- pling method at a single tertiary hospital may affect the external validity of our prevalence estimates and risk associations, as participants may not be fully representative of all clinic attendees or community-dwelling adults in Zambia. Third, the sample size for sex-stratified analyses was limited, particularly among males, where only 15 LVH events were observed. This resulted in a low events-per-variable (EPV) ratio in the multivariable models, increasing the risk of model overfitting and instability. This is reflected in the wide confidence intervals observed for some estimates, particularly for heart failure in males. Although we limited the number of covariates included in the final models to mitigate this issue, the findings from stratified analyses should be interpreted with caution. Larger studies with adequate event numbers are needed to confirm these associations. Fourth, although we adjusted for several key demographic and cardiometabolic factors, the possibility of residual confounding remains. Important variables that may influence LVH, including duration and treatment of hypertension, renal function, and detailed HIV-related factors, were not fully captured or included in the final models. While some HIV-related variables such as ART regimen and duration on ART were assessed, viral load was uniformly suppressed by study design, and these factors were not independently associated with LVH in adjusted analyses. Addi- tionally, data on antihypertensive medication use and duration of hypertension were not systematically available. These unmeasured or incompletely measured factors may have influenced the observed associations. Finally, prior tuberculosis relied on medical records and self-report, which are subject to potential misclassification. Furthermore, the use of sex-specific echocardiographic criteria for LVH (102 g/m2 in men, 88 g/m2 in women) may have contributed to the observed higher prevalence in women. While these criteria are widely accepted and account for phys- iological differences in body size, they could partly explain the stronger association between female sex and LVH in our cohort. Future studies using alternative indexing methods (e.g., LV mass) may help clarify the extent of true biological vs. diagnostic differences.

  Determinants of left ventricular hypertrophy in a cohort attending a medical clinic: A comparative analysis stratified by sex · 2026 · DOI

• in asymptomatic hypertensive asymptomatic hypertensive urgency remains urgency remains surprisingly sparse, and contentious and inadequately standardised across implementation varies considerably across clinical settings.4 institutions and healthcare systems.

  Clinical Outcomes of Rapid Versus Gradual Blood Pressure Normalisation in Asymptomatic Hypertensive Urgency: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis · 2026 · DOI

• are management strategy; whilst hypertensive predicated on theoretical concerns regarding emergencies necessitate rapid, aggressive, and often autoregulation disruption and organ hypoperfusion.7 intravenous antihypertensive therapy to prevent or However, the evidence base supporting these arrest organ damage, the management of recommendations in asymptomatic hypertensive asymptomatic hypertensive urgency remains urgency remains surprisingly sparse, and contentious and inadequately standardised across implementation varies considerably across clinical settings.4 institutions and healthcare systems.

  Clinical Outcomes of Rapid Versus Gradual Blood Pressure Normalisation in Asymptomatic Hypertensive Urgency: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis · 2026 · DOI

• Despite the impact of the COVID- 19 pandemic resulting in a reduced number of countries compared with prepandemic years, the MMM campaign has regained its momentum in 2022, with 60 countries screening over three- quarters of a million people. The 2022 ques- tionnaire was updated to capture new aspects of health, providing novel insight into factors relevant to BP and its management, including long COVID and arrhythmia management. Also, for the first time, we present regional control rates using the more contemporary BP target of<130/80 mm Hg, reflecting latest guidelines.14 15 Given the convenience sampling, estimates from MMM at a global, regional or national level should not BMJ Global Health be interpreted as representative estimates of general population prevalence, treatment and control. Likewise, comparisons between regions and countries should be interpreted cautiously, given likely differences in the population structure and sampling techniques. Despite these limitations, findings from MMM represent real world results from opportunistic screening programmes, which are more easily implementable, particularly in those settings lacking in robust health data infrastruc- tures, where more systematic screening may currently be out of reach. Furthermore, despite the lack of represen- tative sampling, inferences from associations within the sample are internally valid29 and a strength of the data derives from its large and diverse mix of participants across many countries. Consequently, clear, strong asso- ciations have been shown between various measures of MMM BP management and rates of premature stroke mortality at a national level.23 A further limitation is that the design of MMM is cross- sectional, without follow- up data to evaluate the impact of screening. Participants with raised BP are provided with lifestyle advice and advice on further medical review dependent on local resources, but we are unable to assess whether participants received further follow- up, nor the longer- term impact on their BP. Despite this, evidence from a study of community screening in China, which screened individuals and provided advice in a similar manner to MMM, found a reduction in systolic BP that persisted at 2 years.30 In future MMM campaigns, we plan to incorporate follow- up of a subset of participants to better understand the long- term impact. CONCLUSION Based on screening over three- quarters of a million people in 60 countries, the results of MMM22 under- line the persistent global challenge relating to low rates of awareness, treatment and control of hypertension worldwide, with 200 000 of those screened found to have untreated, or inadequately treated hypertension. Given that hypertension remains the single biggest contributor to mortality worldwide, in the context of a likely wors- ening of diagnosis, treatment and control rates during and after the pandemic, the case for screening is stronger than ever. Without the critical step of BP measurement, which is required for the diagnosis of raised BP, improve- ment of BP control cannot be realised. Although system- atic screening is optimal and much needed, it remains unattainable in many regions. In the meantime, MMM offers a practical and low- cost route to improving aware- ness and detection of raised BP at a global level, which we aim to continue annually.

  May Measurement Month 2022: results from the global blood pressure screening campaign · 2024 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Blood Pressure and Hypertension Studies

• 2014 Evidence-Based Guideline for the Management of High Blood Pressure in Adults · JAMA · 2013 · 6,401 citations
• A Randomized Trial of Intensive versus Standard Blood-Pressure Control · New England Journal of Medicine · 2015 · 5,427 citations
• Worldwide trends in hypertension prevalence and progress in treatment and control from 1990 to 2019: a pooled analysis of 1201 population-representative studies with 104 million participants · The Lancet · 2021 · 3,039 citations
• 2024 ESC Guidelines for the management of elevated blood pressure and hypertension · European Heart Journal · 2024 · 1,985 citations
• Blood pressure and incidence of twelve cardiovascular diseases: lifetime risks, healthy life-years lost, and age-specific associations in 1·25 million people · The Lancet · 2014 · 1,420 citations
• Intensive vs Standard Blood Pressure Control and Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes in Adults Aged ≥75 Years · JAMA · 2016 · 1,103 citations
• Effect of Antihypertensive Agents on Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Coronary Disease and Normal Blood Pressure · JAMA · 2004 · 926 citations
• C-Reactive Protein and the Risk of Developing Hypertension · JAMA · 2003 · 790 citations
• Health Outcomes Associated With Various Antihypertensive Therapies Used as First-Line Agents · JAMA · 2003 · 727 citations
• Effects of Different Blood Pressure–Lowering Regimens on Major Cardiovascular Events in Individuals With and Without Diabetes Mellitus · Archives of Internal Medicine · 2005 · 629 citations

Most recent work

• Blood Pressure Assessment Across the Lifespan: Improving Clinical Research and Clinical Practice · Journal of the American College of Cardiology · 2026
• Implementing Community-Based Blood Pressure Groups in Zimbabwe - findings from process evaluation of a pilot intervention · medRxiv · 2026
• Reaching Blood Pressure Control: A 30-Year Odyssey · Hypertension · 2026
• The Acceptability and Impact of the Community-Based Blood Pressure Group pilot intervention in Zimbabwe. · medRxiv · 2026
• Central and peripheral hemodynamic determinants of exercise systolic blood pressure phenotypes in young normotensive adults · American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology · 2026
• Risk-Guided Antihypertensive Treatment Eligibility in Older Adults Under Updated Hypertension Guidelines · Annals of Internal Medicine · 2026
• BP-lowering drugs reduced major CV events to a similar extent in patients with or without isolated diastolic hypertension · Annals of Internal Medicine · 2026
• Sex-related Differences in Left Ventricular Geometry among Hypertensive Nigerians · Annals of African Medicine · 2026
• Intensive vs standard blood pressure control in adults with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and GRADE-based meta-analysis · Annals of Medicine & Surgery · 2026
• Reversal of left ventricular hypertrophy with sacubitril/valsartan vs. standard antihypertensive agents in hypertension: a systematic review and network meta-analysis · Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine · 2026

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