About DHL
The German Hypertension League – German Hypertension Society has been founded in 1974 as a scientific medical society by the renowned pharmacologist Franz Gross. The society nowadays has to meet the needs of scientists, clinicians as well as hypertensive patients by having memberships for professionals, patients and a board of trustees. Currently, the society represents a total of 6.000 physicians/scientists and 3.100 patients.
The aim of the society is to improve the medical care given to some 30 million hypertensive patients in Germany. Several sections and committees are devoted to this goal. National treatment guidelines are updated regularly in close cooperation with international societies such as the ISH and ESH. Treatment recommendations for practicing doctors are published in the 20th edition.
The German Hypertension League itself has established a distinct system of scientific funding for hypertension research. An endowed professorship ensures that research on hypertension is established at the university level. Scholarships enable five junior researchers to continue their work in hypertension research. Furthermore, several awards are given each year to successful scientists engaged in hypertension research.
A recently established hypertension academy is organizing advanced training courses. This has helped to qualify some 3.100 hypertension specialists who are distributed nationwide. In addition, doctor’s assistants, medical technical assistants and nurses are offered further education to improve their ability to support the doctor in the care of hypertensive patients.
Fifty two regional commissioners help to promote, endorse and organise activities involved with continued medical education to practicing doctors, self help groups and the general public.
Some 55 lay-groups for hypertensive patients serve as multipliers of messages to hypertensive patients. Patient members have a representative among the board of directors to consider their needs. An advisory committee helps to organize the work of lay-groups by providing courses on topics relevant to the group work.
The work of the society has also a dimension in health politics. The Institute for Quality and Cost Effectiveness in Health Care (IQWiG) has been commissioned to render an expert opinion on antihypertensive drugs. In the discussion with this agency, the German Hypertension Society is obliged to represent the interests of the hypertensive patients to receive an optimal medical treatment for high blood pressure.
For further information please visit www.hochdruckliga.de.
