Kazuomi Kario, ISH council member, Japan, reports back on a successful meeting organised by the Vietnam Society of Hypertension:

On June 14-15, Huynh Van Minh, M.D., President of the Vietnam Society of Hypertension, hosted the 6th Vietnam Hypertension Conference in Can To City, Vietnam.

The meeting was very active, including young physicians and students who were eager to learn a lot.

I alongside Chia Yook Chin, of ISH Academy, presented a joint session on the HOPE Asia Network (The Hypertension Cardiovascular Outcome Prevention and Evidence in Asia Network).

This session focused on home blood pressure-centered approaches, salt restriction, air pollution, and AI-based hypertension management. Of interest to the audience was the impact of mild obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes on poorly controlled hypertension and subsequent cardiovascular events, particularly stroke.

Hypertension Treatment Guidelines 2023 were released in Vietnam. Topics of focus in the guidelines include home blood pressure measurement, renal denervation in resistant hypertension, and management of gestational hypertension.

Asian countries are now considering the most effective individual hypertension management, taking into account the characteristics of hypertensive patients, which include high salt sensitivity and high salt intake. Direct participation by Asian countries in the conference will resume after 2024, when the COVID-19 pandemic is over!

Watch a video featuring photos from the meeting.