Looking back, looking forward

At the beginning of a new year, which for a Journal means a new volume, it is obvious that the Editors look back at the quality of the scientific content of the previous year's volume, and the problems encountered in running the Journal, to be able to foresee problems for the new year and to better steer the Journal to suit readers's expectations. The major problem of the Journal of Hypertension during the year 2003 has been a healthy one (i.e. the increasing number of submitted papers: over 650 original papers and over 100 editorial commentaries). The quality of the submitted material, coupled with obvious constraints about the number of pages available, is causing some backlog of manuscripts and some regrettable delay between acceptance and publication. This problem is one that the Editors are keen to solve promptly, with the kind collaboration of the Publishers and the guidance of the Management Committee. Throughout 2003, we feel that the Journal has continued to attract excellent manuscripts from all over the world, substantiating its international character, on all the major aspects of hypertension and related pathologies. In this way, the Editors have been able to maintain what they think is a sound balance between clinical and basic research. In the year 2003, several new guidelines or official statements on the management of hypertension have appeared, and most of them have been published in the Journal of Hypertension: two ISH statements on prevention of stroke and on antihypertensive therapy in acute stroke in the April issue; the ESH recommendations on conventional, home and ambulatory blood pressure measurement in May; the ESH–ESC guidelines on hypertension management in June, followed in the October issue by the Practice guidelines prepared by the two Societies; the WHO–ISH statement on hypertension management in November; and the recommendations for Sub-Saharian Africa, also in November. These documents have often been accompanied by commentaries or editorials. Results of intervention trials and an extensive meta-analyses of antihypertensive treatment trials have also been published, and several editorials and letters have debated the results of outcome studies. A number of epidemiological studies have touched on the issue of awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in different parts of the world, and the Editors have been rather liberal in accepting several papers on this topic, as they feel that better control of hypertension is the real challenge in front of us during the next few years. The reader may be interested in reading a large review and meta-analysis of the information so far available worldwide about this problem in the current issue of the Journal. During 2003, several articles have also covered practical management problems, such as cost-effectiveness of treatment, patients’ utility, current trends in prescriptions, assessment of diagnostic procedures, management of hypertension in children, and gestational hypertension. However, the Editors are well aware that progress in the management of hypertension would be very poor without continuing progress in the understanding of the mechanisms of blood pressure regulation and dysregulation, thanks to both basic and clinical research. A considerable number of manuscripts on the genetic aspects of hypertension were published in 2003 and, despite the fact that many of them have generated negative results, the Editors are planning to continue to devote all necessary space in the Journal to genetic issues, although they are keen to encourage submissions on several gene interactions and studies in large populations of subjects. All research methods, from the molecular approach to integrative physiology or pharmacology and epidemiology, and from research on animal models to clinical investigation, have found hospitality in the Journal of Hypertension, and have made it, we hope, informative and intellectually stimulating for our readers. What about 2004? Editors – we feel – are like fishermen. They cast their nets and are able to choose the best fishes if many are being caught. Our bait for 2004 is the quality of what we have been able to publish in 2003, and our readers are those who are finally deciding what they will read next, thanks to the nature and the quality of the manuscripts they submit. In the meantime, the Editors would appreciate receiving as much feedback as possible from readers, and having their comments on the journal content, on the balance between the various topics, and on the relative space devoted to original papers, reviews, editorial commentaries and correspondence. We look forward to hearing from you.