The center in the media
Professor Eva Gerdts featured on the front page of Bergens Tidende on 15 January 2025 in connection with a major interview about new European guidelines for the treatment of hypertension
Published: (Updated: )
The new ESC guidelines recommend initiating treatment for high blood pressure as soon as blood pressure exceeds 140/90 mmHg and treating blood pressure more intensively. Target blood pressure on treatment should be 120–129/70–79 mmHg. Recent research has shown that this provides better protection against heart attack, stroke, and heart failure. Young and middle-aged women naturally have lower blood pressure than men of the same age, meaning their risk begins at a lower threshold. The ESC guidelines emphasize that women with a history of pregnancy complications have an increased risk of developing heart disease early and should start blood pressure treatment already at 130/80 mmHg.
Research from the Center for Research on Heart Disease in Women has contributed to this new knowledge and is cited in the new guidelines.
Norwegian recommendations for hypertension treatment have not been updated since 2017. Norway is therefore lagging behind in modern prevention of cardiovascular disease. Professor Gerdts is now advocating for the new ESC guidelines to lead to a revision of the Norwegian Directorate of Health’s recommendations.
On Thursday, 30 January 2025, Professors Eva Gerdts and Sverre E. Kjeldsen will meet for a debate on this topic at 15:30 at Oslo University Hospital Ullevål – Main Auditorium. The debate is open to all interested.