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(Hypertension. 1999;33:7.)
© 1999 American Heart Association, Inc.

Special Article

Story of the Birth of the Journal Called Hypertension

Louis Tobian, MD
When I began my 2-year term as Chairman of the Council for High Blood Pressure Research (1975–1977), I was looking for some special project. The Freis-V.A. studies had appeared in 1969 and 1970 and proved beyond a doubt that the drug treatment of hypertension saved lives and prevented strokes and congestive heart failure. Drug companies were responding to this by developing new drugs such as beta-blockers. Experts in treating hypertension were emerging rapidly. The renin story in clinical medicine was growing. The entire field of high blood pressure was expanding at a fast clip. The whole situation cried out for a new journal dedicated to the general area of hypertension. It would be the first in the world.

The idea was broached informally and met some stiff resistance. These nay-sayers averred that Circulation, Circulation Research, the American Journal of Physiology, etc. could easily handle the hypertension papers. It was obvious that founding a new journal was not going to be easy, but these opponents could not feel the new, tremendous growth of the high blood pressure field.

So, the attempt was going to be made, regardless of the adverse opinions.

Stratagem A.

Such a journal could not succeed if it could not attract advertising revenues. I contacted 10 drug companies and got commitments for advertising funds for the first 2 years of a hypertension journal.

Stratagem B.

Hands down, the best publisher of such a journal would be the American Heart Association (AHA). They already had the excellent peer-reviewed journals, Circulation, . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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