Arterial hypertensionis an important worldwide health problem. Its relevance relatesboth to the high incidence and prevalence in all adult communities and to the high risk of serious and potentially fatal cardiovascular events dueto hypertension. Resistant hypertension is defi ned as a blood pressure (BP) remaining above goal (>140/90 mm Hg) despite the use of at least 3 optimally dosed antihypertensive drugs from different classes, with one of the drugs being a diuretic. The exact prevalence

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... RH is unknown, but it is generally estimated at 10-20% of hypertensive patients. The aim of this review article is to address several important issues: (1) How to diagnose true RH ? (2) What is the optimal state-of-art management of RH in the light of the most recent scientifi c evidence and what is the role of various medical specialties in this process ? (3) Are there any country specifi c issues related to diagnosing and treating of RH in Kazakhstan and if so, how to tackle them ? Long-lasting resistant hypertension increases by 50-80% the risk of major cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction, stroke) and end-organ damage. (heart failure, vascular dementia, chronic kidney disease). Adherence to well chosen therapy is the key factor in achieving blood pressure control and this must be based on adequate patient education and universal access to drug therapy. Thus, early recognition and appropriate management of RH must be among the top priorities of all public health initiatives to reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases (Tab. 2, Fig. 1, Ref. 31) .Text in PDF www.elis.sk.