A large body of new scientific evidence has accumulated since 2000, when the Czech Society of Hypertension published its latest guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of hypertension. All key recommendations in these guidelines are based on available evidence, included particularly in the European Society of Hypertension – European Society of Cardiology guidelines on the diagnosis and management of arterial hypertension for 2003, taking into consideration the Europaen Guidelines for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Clinical Practice and the latest American guidelines (JNC 7). Physicians more keenly interested in hypertension are referred to a more extensive version of the 2003 European Society of Hypertension – Europen Society of Cardiology guidelines for the management of arterial hypertension (J. Hypertens. 2003, 21:1011-1053). A Czech translation of the guidelines is a available on the web site of the Czech Society of Hypertension (www.hypertension.cz). A pocket version of the Czech Society of Hypertension guidelines is being prepared.

        Key words: arterial hypertension – diagnosis – therapy – guidelines.