Hypertension is one the most important risk factors for atherosclerosis-related mortality and morbidity in the world. It produced the greatest mortality burden, accounting for more than 9 million deaths worldwide per year. According to the Asia Pacific Cohort Studies Collaboration (APCSC), all the major cardiovascular risk factors work at least as strongly in Eastern as in Western populations. Since stroke is relatively common in the Asians compared with that in the Caucasians, the impact of HT on cardiovascular events may be more important in this area. In APCSC, for a 10-mmHg decrease in SBP correlated with a 41% reduction in stroke in Asians, but only a 30% stroke reduction in Australasia.?
　Higher SBP in the early morning in home BP monitoring (HBPM) or ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) is a stronger predictor for stroke. BP variability is also strongly related to the risk of stroke. Because the death rate due to stroke is still higher than that due to CHD, controlling SBP in HBPM or ABPM by long-acting calcium channel blocker is becoming more important in the treatment strategy in Asia.
　BP targets have been widely debated in recent decade. Recent ESC/ESH HT guidelines and the 2015 HT guidelines drafted by the JNC8 panels have loosen the BP targets. However, BP targets for diabetes, for example, have not been changed in the Canadian HT guidelines, nor in the recent Japanese HT guidelines. The members of the Task Force of the 2015 HT guidelines of Taiwan Society of Cardiology/Taiwan Hypertension Society have convened for 8 times in the past year. We have finalized the BP targets for our societies, shown below.