18 April 2025: The 19th Portuguese Congress of Hypertension and Global Cardiovascular Risk (19.º Congresso Português de Hipertensão e Risco Cardiovascular Global) took place earlier this year, from 13 to 16 February, 2025, at the Grande Real Santa Eulália Hotel in Albufeira, Algarve in Portugal.

Organized by the Portuguese Society of Hypertension (Sociedade Portuguesa de Hipertensão - SPH), an affiliate society of the ISH, the event aimed to provide scientific updates, knowledge sharing, and discussions on topics relevant to daily clinical practice.

The congress featured a diverse programme, including round tables and hot-topic sessions addressing significant aspects of cardiovascular diseases, which remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Portugal.

International experts actively involved in the latest European Hypertension Guidelines contributed to the congress, enriching the discussions with global perspectives. Additionally, the event hosted scientific presentations, the NISPH (young fellows group of the SPH) course, and the Global Cardiovascular risk course. The organizing committee worked diligently to develop an engaging scientific program covering various cardiovascular disease topics. The congress also served as a platform for networking and knowledge exchange among healthcare professionals, fostering collaboration and learning within the field of hypertension and cardiovascular risk.

The congress acknowledged outstanding contributions through several awards, including three monetary prizes for the best research work, clinical research, and clinical cases. There were also five honorable mentions to highlight significant works in the field. These awards were presented during a ceremony on February 15, 2025. Furthermore, the 2nd edition of the Mission 70/26 Award focused on "Health Literacy – Know to Control," offering a monetary grant to healthcare professionals who developed activities aimed at improving adherence to treatment and hypertension control.

Overall, the 19th Congress successfully brought together experts and professionals to advance knowledge and foster collaboration in the fight against hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.

Our thanks to SPH Past President Rosa de Pinho for this report.

From 22 March 2025, the SPH President is Fernando Martos Gonçalves.