Hypertension research in the 21st century: where is the gold?

This paper presents a signpost for hypertension research, emphasizing areas most likely to yield major clinical and public health benefits. Specific questions are posed in the context of fetal and maternal precursors of cardiovascular disease, vascular biology, resistant hypertension, antihypertensive drugs, primary aldosteronism, lifestyle and genetic interactions and translational research. Worldwide increasing rates of obesity and diabetes demonstrate the need for a global approach to cardiovascular risk and the need for more effective use of existing knowledge. Equal emphasis is given to the critical importance of the fundamental research required to defeat hypertensive cardiovascular disease in the long run.