Story of the Birth of the Journal Called Hypertension

When I began my 2-year term as Chairman of the Council for High Blood Pressure Research (1975–1977), I was looking for some special project. The Freis-V.A. studies had appeared in 1969 and 1970 and proved beyond a doubt that the drug treatment of hypertension saved lives and prevented strokes and congestive heart failure. Drug companies were responding to this by developing new drugs such as beta-blockers. Experts in treating hypertension were emerging rapidly. The renin story in clinical medicine was growing. The entire field of high blood pressure was expanding at a fast clip. The whole situation cried out for a new journal dedicated to the general area of hypertension. It would be the first in the world.The idea was broached informally and met some stiff resistance. These nay-sayers averred that Circulation, Circulation Research , the American Journal of Physiology , etc. could easily …