The Inter-American Society of Hypertension (IASH) is a non-profit organization devoted to the understanding, prevention, and control of hypertension and vascular diseases. Its members include outstanding scientists and physicians from 20 different countries in the Americas Europe, Australia and Asia. Anyone interested in the field of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases is welcome to join the society.

Main objectives

To encourage research and exchange of ideas in hypertension and vascular diseases (basic, clinical and epidemiological) among physicians and scientists of the Americas. To achieve this goal, the IASH organizes biennial meetings that serve as a forum for "interchange of scientific and clinical information and recent research findings".

To stimulate young scientists and physicians into research of hypertension, cardiovascular and clinical practice. To achieve this objective, the Society continues to seek funds for young researchers and clinicians to attend scientific meetings and funds for fellowships for promising young scientists, especially those from Latin America.

To promote the detection, control and prevention of hypertension and other cardiovascular risk factors among the peoples of the Americas. To achieve this objective, the IASH has become a member of the World Hypertension League (WHL) whose main goal is to encourage the control of hypertension throughout the world. This aim is achieved through joint efforts with national hypertension organizations by promoting exchange of information among them, and offering international applicable methods and programs for hypertension control l.

To educate physicians, health workers, and the general public on the various aspects of etiology, pathogenesis, prevention, early detection and treatment of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. To achieve this objective, the Society has gathered faculty and members with expertise in the various aspects of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. They are able to provide continuing medical education as needed in various countries of the Americas.



Origin of the Society

The IASH was formed as a consequence of long-standing interactions among scientists of the Americas interested in etiology, pathogenesis and treatment of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. This interaction began in the late 1930's and early 1940's with the discovery of angiotensin by a remarkable group of scientists, Irvine Page and Oscar Helmer in the USA and Eduardo Braun-Menendez, Juan Carlos Fasciolo, Luis F. Leloir and Juan Munos in Argentina. 
The first formal meeting from which was to become IASH, it was held in August 1974 in Mendoza, Argentina, as a satellite of the Seventh World Congress of Cardiology. This satellite, called the Pan American Symposium on Vasoactive Peptides and Hypertension, was hosted by Dr. Fasciolo.

The second meeting was held in the USA (1976), with subsequent meetings in Mexico (1978), Chile (1981), Brazil (1983), USA (1985), Argentina (1987), Puerto Rico (1989), Brazil (1991), USA (1993), Canada (1995), Mexico (1997), Argentina (1999), and Chile (2001). The success of the first meetings inspired the creation of IASH, which was incorporated in May 1980. Its first president was F. Merlin Bumpus of the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio.