ESH Activities
Working Groups

ESH Administrative Newsletter No. 4:
Working Groups of the European Society of Hypertension
Enrico Agabiti Rosei, Renata Cifková, Peter Nilsson, Krzysztof Narkiewicz, and Sverre E. Kjeldsen for the ESH Council

Background:
The Working Groups (WGs) have been created for the study of specific topics in the field of experimental and clinical hypertension.
The WGs contribute significantly to the activities of the Society by proposing subjects mainly for scientific research, and also by initiating studies requiring the cooperation of several University and non-University centres in Europe.
Thus the functions of WGs are as follows:

  1. To gather and exchange scientific information
  2. To promote and organise research in the subject
  3. To establish appropriate recommendations for the ESH and other similar organisations.

Any official document (i.e. in from of state-of-the-art) should be discussed with the Council.

Number and composition of the working groups:
The following WGs of ESH have been organised so far:
- WG on Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Variability (Prof. G.F. Parati)
- WG on Blood Pressure Monitoring (Prof. J. Staessen)
- WG on Endothelin and Endothelial Factors (Prof. G.P. Rossi)
- WG on Hypertension and the Kidney (Prof. P. de Leeuw)
- WG on Vascular Structure and Function (Prof. H. Struyker-Boudier)
- WG on Hypertension in Diabetes (Prof. P. Nilsson)
- WG on Hypertension and the Heart (ESC) (Prof. R. Fagard)
- WG on Integrated Approach to the High Risk Patient (Prof. L.M. Ruilope)
- WG on Endocrine Hypertension (Prof. J. W. M. Lenders)
- WG on Obesity (Prof. J. Jordan)

Working groups are represented on the ESH Council by Prof. E. Agabiti Rosei, who serves his second term as WGs coordinator (until 2010).

organising Working Groups:

  1. Further WGs by recognised experts on the basis of a clear scientific background can be proposed to the ESH Council. WG are not permanent, they may be cancelled or merged with other WGs, if appropriate.
  2. Each WG has a chairman (in charge for 2 years), a vice-chairman, a secretary and members chosen for their competence in the field of interest of the WG. The chairman, vice-chairman and secretary are elected by members of WGs every 2 years.
  3. New WGs should have at least 10 founding members, from different countries. Application for membership should be accompanied by the demonstration of scientific interest in the field (scientific publications) and recommendations by 2 members. Requests should be sent to the chairman of the WG.
  4. From October 2002 WGs have been represented on the ESH Council by a coordinator appointed for a four-year term with the possibility of being re-appointed once.
Meetings Organisation
WGs should participate in the organisation of the annual Congress. During the annual Congress, each WG organises a scientific meeting. Two (or more) WGs can interact in order to organise a scientific meeting.
At the same time, each WG can also organise a meeting to discuss the current and future activities of the group.

Small scientific meetings can be held in various European Cities on the initiative of the chairman or of local experts who are members of the WG.

The WGs should report at least yearly to the Council, giving information on their activities.

ESH WORKING GROUPS

1. Working Group on Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Variability
Prof. P. van de Borne
Department of Cardiology
Erasme Hospital
808 Lennik road
1070 Brussels
Belgium
Fax +32 2 5556713
E-mail: philippe.vandeborne@erasme.ulb.ac.be

  

2. Working Group on Blood Pressure Monitoring
Prof. Jan A. Staessen
Study Coordinating Centre
Laboratory of Hypertension
Department of Molecular and Cardiovascular Research
University of Leuven
Campus Gasthuisberg, Building Onderwijs & Navorsing 1
Herestraat 49
3000 Leuven - Belgium
Fax +32 16 347106
E-mail: jan.staessen@med.kuleuven.be

3. Working Group on Endothelin and Endothelial Factors
Prof. G.P. Rossi
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine
University Hospital
Via Giustiniani 2
35126 Padua - Italy
Fax +39 049 8802252
E-mail: gianpaolo.rossi@unipd.it

4. Working Group on Hypertension and the Kidney
Prof. P. W. de Leeuw
Department of Medicine
University Hospital Maastricht
P.O. BOX 5800
6202 AZ Maastricht - The Netherlands
Fax +31 43 3875006
E-mail: p.deleeuw@intmed.unimaas.nl

5. Working Group on Vascular Structure and Function
Prof. Harry A. J. Struyker-Boudier
Department of Pharmacology
University of Maastricht
PO Box 616 - 6200 MD Maastricht - The Netherlands
Fax +31 43 3670940
E-mail: h.struijkerboudier@farmaco.unimaas.nl

6. Working Group on Hypertension in Diabetes
Prof. P. Nilsson
Department of Medicine
University Hospital
S-20502 - Malmo - Sweden
Fax +46 40 923272
E-mail: Peter.Nilsson@medforsk.mas.lu.se

7. Working Group on Integrated Approach to the High Risk Patient
Prof. L.M. Ruilope
Hospital 12 de Octubre
Carretera de Andalucia Km 5,400
28041 Madrid - Spain
Fax +34 91 5765644
E-mail: ruilope@ad-hocbox.com

8. Working Group on Endocrine Hypertension
Prof. J.W.M. Lenders
Department of Internal Medicine
University Medical Center
St. Radboud
Nijmegen - The Netherlands
Fax +31 24 3541734
E-mail: j.lenders@aig.umcn.nl

9. Working Group on Obesity
Prof. J. Jordan
Franz Volhard Clinical Research Centre
Wildtbergstras. 50
13125 Berlin - Germany
Fax +49 30 94172265
E-mail: jordan@fuk.charite-buch.de