Hypertension is a complex process that involves a diverse range of contributing factors including genetic, environmental, hormonal, hemodynamic, and inflammatory forces. Over the past 100 years, hypertension remains the major cause of mortality and disability worldwide and accounts for nearly half of strokes, heart failure, myocardial infarction, kidney damage, and cognitive dysfunction. With the increase in human lifespan and unhealthy lifestyle habits, the annual increase in the worldwide prevalence of hypertension has accelerated over the last decade. Therefore, action is urgently required to reduce the global burden of hypertension.

Currently, many clinical trials such as Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) and China Stroke Primary Prevention Trial (CSPPT) in the field of hypertension have been conducted. Additionally, substantial research has been devoted to detecting the mechanisms that underlie blood pressure elevation. Despite these efforts, recent studies have not yielded major advances and the control of hypertension is still poor. To improve the control rate, potential strategies to prevent the inertia of antihypertensive treatment need more attention. Hypertension in different age categories and potential sex or ethnic differences need further discussion. In addition, we should look for phenotypes before there is established hypertension to halt the progression and reduce the pill burden. To address the challenges of hypertension, novel mechanisms for the development of hypertension including oxidative stress and inflammation, epigenetics, and the microbiome have attracted more attention. New discoveries suggest that RNA interference and genome editing might be promising strategies for new hypertensive agents. Furthermore, the effective utilization of emerging technologies such as noninvasive, continuous BP monitoring technology could improve hypertension awareness. Artificial intelligence and machine learning have the potential to revolutionize the management of hypertension. The successful convergence of digital data, artificial intelligence, and biomedical sciences accompanied by their implementation in healthcare delivery and the effective strategy for population health will be the future direction of the subject of hypertension.

This Special Issue aims to summarize the advancements in clinical and basic research of hypertension and to discuss the future directions in the development and construction of the hypertension discipline. Innovative original research and review articles that provide new insight into hypertension are encouraged.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Epidemiology of hypertension
• Evidence-based update of hypertension
• Inertia of antihypertensive treatment
• Hypertension in different age categories
• Sex and ethnic differences in hypertension
• Arterial stiffness and cardiovascular risk in hypertension
• Pathophysiology of hypertension
• The gut microbiome in hypertension
• Immunity in hypertension
• Oxidative stress and hypertension
• Vascular stress signalling in hypertension
• Renin cells, the kidney and hypertension
• Hypertension and COVID-19