aHypertension Center STRIDE-7, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, Third Department of Medicine, Sotiria Hospital, Athens, Greece

bNinewells Hospital & Medical School, University of Dundee, Scotland

cThe Robertson Centre for Biostatistics, University of Glasgow, Glasgow

dInstitute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London

eDivision of Cardiovascular Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Biology and Health, University of Manchester

fManchester Heart Centre and Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK

Correspondence to Professor George Stergiou, MD, FRCP, Hypertension Center STRIDE-7, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, Third Department of Medicine, Sotiria Hospital, 152 Mesogion Avenue, Athens 11527, Greece. Tel: +30 2107763117; fax: +30 2107719981; e-mail: [email protected]