Management of hypertension in adults: the 2013 French Society of Hypertension guidelines

To improve the management of hypertension in the French population, the French Society of Hypertension has decided to issue a new set of guidelines that include the following practical characteristics: usefulness for clinical practice, short, easy‐to‐read format, comprehensive writing for non‐physicians, wide dissemination among healthcare professionals and the hypertensive population, assessment of their impact among healthcare professionals and with regard to public health goals. These guidelines, so‐called the appointments of the hypertensive patient, include 15 recommendations, divided into three chapters, according to the timing of the medical management: prior to treatment initiation, the initial treatment plan (first 6 months) and the long‐term care plan (beyond 6 months). We hope that a vast dissemination of these simple guidelines will help to improve hypertension control in the French population from 50% to 70%, an objective expected to be achieved in 2015 in France.