About PSH
The Philippine Society of Hypertension Inc. (PSH) was incorporated on 7 January 1993 by medical health providers concerned with the diagnosis, management, treatment, and prevention of hypertension. These providers include internist-cardiologists, nephrologists, endocrinologists, neurologists, obstetrician-gynecologists, pediatricians, occupational and family physicians and practitioners from other medical disciplines.
We are determined to control hypertension using a total quality management approach, which involves reciprocal communication between providers and clients facilitated by paramedical representatives and the media.
We are a member of the International Society of Hypertension (ISH) and World Hypertension League (WHL).
Our membership is comprised of over 2,000 medical health providers, as well as non-medical individuals and 13 corporate members from pharmaceutical companies involved in promoting health. Through the years, the PSH has been actively looking for ways to increase awareness of hypertension among the lay population, improve knowledge among practitioners and encourage research among students and professionals alike:
Our History
The years 1993 to 1997 were distinguishing milestones in the development of PSH as a society.
Dr. Ramon F. Abarquez Jr.(+), the founder of PSH, became the first president of the society in 1993. The society’s focused mission was to prevent and control hypertension in the Philippines.
Initial activities of PSH contributing to its success:
The society implemented a nationwide survey in December 1994 to determine health care providers’ concepts, attitudes and practices regarding hypertension in the Philippines.
The society implemented a nationwide survey in December 1994 to determine health care providers’ concepts, attitudes and practices regarding hypertension in the Philippines.
The first PSH annual convention on 9-10 of February 1995 held at Edsa Shangri-La Hotel, Ortigas Pasig was in cooperation with the visiting faculty of the ISH. This aimed to improve the physician’s knowledge about hypertension by providing lectures on research updates and new developments in therapeutic management.
The first joint annual convention of PSH and Philippine Lipid and Atherosclerosis Society (PLAS) transpired on 10-11 February 1995 Edsa Shangri-La Hotel with the participation of visiting luminaries from ISH. This was the first time that a medical society meeting was simultaneously-telecast in four cities: Manila, Davao City, Cebu City and Legaspi City.
The society participated in the World Conference on Hypertension Control held on 22-24 June 1995 in Ottawa, Canada, sponsored by the WHL dedicated to promote the detection, control and prevention of arterial hypertension.
PSH created a workshop on “Hypertension Control: Setting an Agenda for Multi-Sectoral Collaboration” held on 12 August 1995 at the Developmental Academy of the Phils., Pasig City, which aimed to identify priority issues or concerns in hypertension control that should be addressed in the Philippines and to convene multi-sectoral task forces that would draft guidelines for addressing these priorities.
The Society initiated a workshop on “Consensus Building and Guideline Development on 28 October 1995 at the Don Jacinto Building in Makati City, initiating the creation and development of clinical guidelines that would help health providers in translating science and research into action.
The second joint annual convention of PSH and PLSA was held together with the Second Pacific Rim Conference on February 1, 1996 at the Westin Philippine Plaza Hotel with the cooperation of world-renowned speakers. This time, the Asian Pacific Society of Hypertension (APSH) was organized and born --and PSH’s very own Dr. Abarquez became a member of the board for APSH.
In 1997, this society hosted the 2nd Pacific Rim Conference on Hypertension Control --where the completed Philippine Hypertension Guidelines was presented and distributed to all practicing Filipino doctors, and subsequently published in the 1997 Philippine Journal of Internal Medicine.
2013 saw greater efforts of the PSH under Dr. Romeo Divinagracia in reaching out to the community about the importance of hypertension awareness:
The Society participated in the global celebration of World Hypertension Day (WHD). The activities for the year include the iQuit for a Healthier Life Video Message Contest, which was done with the Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Heart Association (PHA), Philippine Society of Nephrologists, Philippine Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism and Novartis Health Care Philippines. This aimed to raise awareness of hypertension to lower its prevalence and reduce the health risks associated with smoking and irregular heartbeat.
The 2013 WHD Celebration was held concurrent with the National Hypertension Awareness Month (NHAM) celebration at the Crowne Plaza Galleria Hotel on 17 May 2012. Its theme was ‘Healthy Heartbeat, Healthy Blood Pressure: Kakabakaba kaba? Baka High Blood Ka?’ This included free consultations, a lay forum and fitness exercises.
A Hypertension Caravan Program was conducted to allow the community itself to assume responsibility and accountability for reducing the burden of hypertension and all its sequelae (heart attack, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure).
Several research studies and surveys were also supported by the Society:
The study ‘Final Report of Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Program (CRRP): A Pilot Study Evaluation Multiple Risk Factor Intervention to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease’ a joint activity of PSH and Iligan Medical Society (IMS), involved conducting educational activities for both doctors and patients, identifying patients with a high 10-year cardiovascular risk and evaluating the effectiveness of multiple risk factor interventions to control risk factors in high-risk patients. However, a large dropout limited the study and in those who complete the program, their Framingham risk score got even worse.
The PST contributed Php200,000 for the 8th National Nutrition Survey – Clinical and Health Component or the National Nutrition and Health Survey III (NNHeS III: 2013).
Data collection was started again for the Update on Life Course Study in Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology (LIFECARE) Study.
The Society also oversaw the publication of several local studies in prestigious local and international journals, including the Philippine Journal of Internal Medicine, Philippine Journal of Neurology, the Diabetes and Vascular Disease Research Journal, the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, the Journal of the ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies and the Asia Pacific Allergy.
The Society purchased a property to house the PSH and PLAS offices and conference facilities at the Strata 100 building, and interior designing was initiated on March 2013.
The PSH participated in several activities by other medical organizations:
The Society participated in the Training Workshop on ‘Health in All Policies (HiAP)’ of the DOH on 10–12 April 2013 at the Ascott Hotel, Makati City, to strengthen the capacity to implement and promote a whole-systems approach to health and to equip participants to be policy champions for HiAP.
The Society participated in the scientific program and social program of the 44th PHA Annual Convention on 29–31 May 2013 at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel, Ortigas, Pasig.
The Society assisted in updating the Philippine National Drug Formulary with the DOH National Center for Pharmaceutical Access and Management (NCPAM) on 3 June 2013.
The Society attended the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists – Philippine Chapter (AACE-PC) 5th consecutive Joint Convention with its mother organization on 1–3 August 2013 at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Cebu City.
The Society participated in the Consultative Meeting of Institute of Health Policy and Development Studies (IHPDS) and National Institute of Health (NIH) at the University of the Philippines, Manila on 12 November 2013, and presented the study results and an initial draft of a proposed reimbursement package for outpatient occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech pathology services for persons with stroke and provided a venue for communication and collaboration among key stakeholders.
The Society started evaluating the Omron Automated Oscillometric Blood Pressure Monitoring Device models HEM 7120, HEM 7130 and HEM 7322 for accreditation.
The Society continued its ‘BP ng Teacher Ko, Alaga Ko’ survey of private and public school teachers from preschool to post-graduate school in the National Capital Region (NCR); northern, central and southern Luzon; Visayas; and Mindanao. This survey is done in partnership with the PHA, Department of Education (DepEd), DOH and LRI-Therapharma, and was aimed to educate and identify teachers on hypertension, quantify incidence of hypertension among teachers in the country and promote the role of the PSH and PHA in the prevention and treatment of hypertension.
The PSH also donated Php100,000.00 to the GMA Kapuso Foundation to the help the victims of typhoon Yolanda.
2014 saw further growth of the Society
As mandated in the guidelines of the PSH Hypertension Specialist Program, members of the PSH for 10 years or more underwent re-designation or re-certification.
The 2014 WHD had the theme ‘Healthy Heartbeat, Healthy Blood Pressure,’ and encouraged Filipinos from all age groups to maintain a healthy heart and healthy blood pressure. The celebration included free consultations, a lay forum and risk factor screenings (BP measurement, fasting blood sugar and cholesterol testing, body mass index (BMI) and weight testing, ankle-brachial test, ECG test, etc.).
The PSH Hypertension Caravan Program was renamed the PSH Community-Based Hypertension Prevention and Surveillance Program. A new thrust is given to the program: to determine ways to help address the issues on the incidence and management of hypertension in the Philippines at an optimal and cost-effective mean, and with active participation of the individual, community, health care provider, payors and business section, and the different government agencies.
Collaborations with international societies continued:
In collaboration with the Philippine Lipid and Atherosclerosis Society (PLAS), the Philippine Heart Association, the Philippine College of Physicians, Philippine Medical Association and the Department of Health, the PSH hosted the 10th Asia Pacific Congress of Hypertension (APCH) on 12–15 February 2014. This is the official congress of the Asian Pacific Society of Hypertension, which has become one of the largest and most reputable organizations on hypertension in the Asia Pacific region. This included world-renowned speakers from the Philippines, Australia, Singapore, Japan, the USA and other countries to present latest developments in hypertension and related disciplines. Over 1,000 delegates from Asia, Europe, North America, Africa and Oceania attended the event.
The Society continued to participate in the different activities of private and public organizations:
Evaluation of the HEM 7130, HEM 7332 and HEM 7120 models of Omron Automated Oscillometric Blood Pressure Monitoring Device was concluded and all obtained PSH validation and accreditation.
The ‘BP ng Teacher Ko, Alaga Ko’ survey was continued, with the study targeted to conclude by December 2015.
The Society sent official representatives for the ad hoc committee of the PHA Specialty Board of Adult Cardiology.
The Society attended the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) Continuing Medical Education (CME) Commission to update PMA professional growth and the scientific sessions of the 2014 PMA Annual Convention.
The Society participated in the World Health Organization (WHO)-Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) session on ‘Overall Risk Approach and WHO Package of Essential Non-Communicable Disease Interventions for Low-Resistance Settings (WHO-Pen)’ during the 44th PCP Annual Convention at the SMX Convention Center on 5 May 2014.
Dr. Lynn Gomez became the president of the PSH beginning 2015
The 13th course for the Clinical Practice of Hypertension Management was held at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center on 22–25 July 2015.
The 13th certifying examination for Hypertension specialists was also held at the Bonaventure Plaza on 10 October 2015.
The 2015 WHD celebration and 5th NHAM celebration was held on 16 May 2015 at the covered court of Verdant Subdivision, and in cooperation with the DOH, HAP and the local government of the City of Las Piñas.
The theme for the celebration was ‘#BantayBP (Know Your Blood Pressure),’ and featured free consultations, a lay forum and fitness, as well as risk factor screenings.
Several projects were proposed to achieve more impact on morbidity and mortality reduction (on cardiovascular risk factors) and further explore ways to help address the issues on the incidence and management of hypertension in the Philippines.
International collaborations and activities continued to flourish:
The Society participated in the Asian Pacific Congress of Hypertension (APSH) Council Meeting at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center in Bali, Indonesia on 4–7 June 2015, and nominated its immediate past president, Dr Romeo Divinagracia to the APSH Executive Council.
Researches also continued to expand:
The results of the 8th Nutrition and Health Survey III (NNHeSIII: 2013) would be presented and compared with the previous years.
The Philippine group conducting the LIFECARE Study was able to publish some baseline data in both local and international journals. These highlighted the socio-ecological and health profile of the different Philippine study sites; stress profile of the Philippine cohort; taste preference; prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and metabolic syndrome; and validation of the SF-36 questionnaire in Filipinos.
The new PSH office at Unit 1108H 11th floor Strata 100 was inaugurated on 18 April 2015.
The Society approved the formation of PSH Working Groups/Chapters and to eventually, form 3 chapters from 3 designated areas. The 1st PSH Working Group included the Pangasinan and Ilocos groups.
The Society participated in the following activities:
With the PHA, the Society participated as a member of the voting panel in the Consensus Meeting for the Update of the Guidelines on the Management of Dyslipidemias in the Philippines. The updated guideline was subsequently launched at the Crowne Plaza Galleria Hotel on 10 February 2016.
The Society was invited to be part of the scientific program of the PMA’s 2015 Annual Convention on 19–22 May 2015. Dr Nelson Abelardo was the resource person for the session regarding Hypertension Guidelines.
The ‘BP ng Teacher Ko, Alaga Ko’ project was extended.
In 2016, the number of hypertension specialists increased from 458 to 478.
A joint Press Conference and PSH-PCP Joint Health Forum was held on 17 May 2016 at Annabelle’s Restaurant to kick off the 2016 WHD and NHAM celebrations.
With the same theme ‘#BantayBP (Know Your Blood Pressure)’ as last year, the actual celebration was held at the Dapitan Sports Complex, as was attended by 533 delegates.
New projects were also proposed to help address the hypertension dilemma:
A revised proposal on PSH Community-Based Hypertension Prevention Program titled ‘The Effectiveness of a Barangay Health Worker–Led Lifestyle Program for Stage 1 Hypertensive Filipino Patients in a Selected Barangay’ was proposed to demonstrate the effectiveness of a community-led dietary and other lifestyle interventions in Stage 1 hypertensive Filipino patients with the barangay health workers (BWH’s) as first line-health care givers.
Another research proposal was the ‘Community Health Assessment Program in the Philippines (CHAPP)’ by Dr. Ricardo Angeles, which aimed to pilot and compare the results of foreign- and locally available BP devices to determine any deviation (and degree, if any) in their readings.
The Society had a joint activity with the FNRI to obtain preliminary data on salt to determine a local recommendation regarding salt intake to further emphasize the high recognition of the importance of reducing salt intake.
Two working groups were formally established able to involve its members and hypertension specialists in its various events/activities, especially those events/activities to be conducted regionally. These are comprised of the Northern Luzon Working Group and the Southern Luzon Working Group.
International collaborations continued:
The Society was invited to participate in the 2016 APSH Council Meeting and the 2016 APSH and ISH Meeting at the COEX Convention Center in Seoul, South Korea on 24–29 September 2016.
The Society attended the ISH Executive Council Meeting on 27 September 2017. Dr Rafael Castillo, past president of the PSH, was nominated in the ISH Executive Committee and appointed as Member of the ISH Scientific Council and Chair of the ISH Committee on Communications.
The Society was also invited by the ISH to their 2017 May Measurement Month (MMM17) with the WHL. The objective of the program is to screen the BP’s of over 25 million people or at least 500,000 individuals aged 18 years and older.
The MMM17 was subsequently launched in the Philippines on 23 February 2017 at the Holiday Inn.
Researches on 8th National Nutrition Survey: 2013 and Its Health Component and LIFECARE continued, and the validation and accreditation of the Omron, Phils. Automated Oscillometric Blood Pressure Monitoring Devices was extended.
External activities were also conducted:
The FNRI the Society to become a member of the Technical Working Group in their Workshop on the Development and Nutrition Practice Guidelines (NPGs) for Primary Care Setting to develop nutrition practice guidelines for primary setting to assist providers of nutrition care and guide patients/clients’ decisions about appropriate care for specific nutrition conditions.
The Society was also invited by the FNRI-Department of Science and Technology at the 2016 APEC Philippine Workshop on Translating STI to Policy.
The Society participated as one of the health groups who officially issued an appeal to President Duterte to stop anti-health amendments in the Sin Tax Law (House Bill 4144). This aimed to support the proposal of health groups to maintain the single tax rate and increase it to P40 per pack, regardless of price or brand to prevent smokers and would-be-smokers from shifting to low-priced brands and prevent them from getting life-threatening illnesses that these products cause.
In 2017, Dr Alberto Atilano took over as the President of the PSH
The 2017 WHD had the theme ‘#MMM17: Know Your Numbers.’ The ISH proposed to expand the 2017 WHD to become the MMM17 to further increase the awareness, treatment and control of hypertension.
A joint press conference with the DOH and the local government of Manila was held at the Manila City Hall on 4 May 2017 to kick off the event, and this was covered by several print, television and radio networks.
The PSH-PAFP Hypertension Academy was conducted on 13–14 and 27–28 October at the Marco Polo Hotel, Manila Diamond Hotel and the Park by Radisson to enhance the knowledge of general practitioners/family physicians on hypertension management; integrate clinical practice/professional skills, such as counselling skills with scientific learning; and to partner with an authority on hypertension management in developing the scientific content.
The Society was invited to participate in the 2017 APSH Council Meeting in conjunction of the 2017 APSH and International Society of Hypertension (ISH) Meeting at the Suntec Singapore Convention on 6–8 October 2017.
In 2018, more improvements are expected to happen with the PSH. An online hypertension course and re-certifying and certifying examination was launched for 2018.
What started as a small band of medical health providers with a noble cause and dream has evolved into a large force of physicians, medical health professionals and scientists with a better reach, keener senses and a louder voice to help the Filipino people combat hypertension and its potential consequences.
