Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39976190›Full record

ArticleJournal of hypertension2025

Development of the European Society of Hypertension guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension: comparison of the helpfulness of ESH 2013, 2018, and 2023 guidelines.

Akos Koller, Zoltán Járai, Johanna Takács

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of hypertension, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Akos KollerDepartment of Morphology and Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Semmelweis University.
Zoltán JáraiDepartment of Cardiology, South-Buda Center Hospital St, Imre University Teaching Hospital.
Johanna TakácsDepartment of Social Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveOver the last decade, the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) published several guidelines (GLs) for the Management of Arterial Hypertension (2013, 2018, and 2023). We hypothesized that the GL has been improved because of the publications of new evidence. Thus, we aimed to examine the development of ESH guidelines (ESH GLs) by comparing their helpfulness regarding the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension.

methodsA novel mathematical analysis was used to compare ESH GLs. Not only the frequency of Classes of Recommendations (CLASS) and the Levels of Evidence (LEVEL) were examined but a newly developed certainty index (CI) was calculated. This CI allows the CLASS and LEVEL to be assessed together, providing a less biased assessment of GLs, than examining the CLASS and LEVEL independently or related to each other.

resultsThe number of recommendations showed continuous and significant increases from 2013 ( N  = 110) to 2018 ( N  = 169), and 2023 ( N  = 269). Examining the frequency of CLASS and/or LEVEL led to biased results, showing both improvements and/or worsening comparing years. However, based on the new analysis, a continuous improvement was shown in the percentage of certainty from 2013 to 2023 (2013: 60.5%, 2018: 72.1%, 2023: 75.3%). Accordingly, the CI was also significantly increased from 2013 (CI: 0.21), to 2018 (CI: 0.44), and to 2023 (CI: 0.51).

conclusionThe analysis shows that compared to previous GLs, the structure of the ESH 2023 GL has been rearranged and simplified. The higher number of Recommendations indicates a continuously accumulating knowledge regarding the mechanisms, clinical findings, and epidemiology of hypertension. Moreover, the ESH 2023 GL shows a higher degree of certainty and CI, corresponding to a higher level of helpfulness of the ESH 2023 GL for healthcare professionals to diagnose, prevent, and treat hypertension.

Indexed as

Evidence-Based MedicineHypertensionEuropeHumansMathematical ConceptsPractice Guidelines as TopicSocieties, MedicalUncertainty

Identifiers

PMID39976190
PMCPMC11970597

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