New European guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension: the perspective of a clinical psychologist

The 2018 ESC/ESH European guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension (HTN) include new statements concerning the role of psychosocial factors in the course and the control of HTN. The importance of adherence to treatment is emphasized and efficient interventions that may improve drug adherence in HTN are presented. However, the Guidelines do not reflect the contemporary knowledge on psychosocial aspects of HTN and their meaning is not presented. It is necessary to integrate psychological concepts into the clinical guidelines, and clinical psychologists should take part in the development of such important documents.