Despite the advances in drug therapy and increased rates of control reported in many countries, the World Health Organization identifies hypertension as the number one risk factor for premature death worldwide. While the behavioral risk factors for hypertension have been relatively well defined and are widely known to the public, factors such as obesity and physical inactivity continue to increase at alarming rates. Behavioral medicine is one area of study that may have considerable potential to bridge the gap between high population levels of uncontrolled BP and behaviors known to prevent the occurrence of hypertension and reduce BP. Behavioral medicine is the interdisciplinary field concerned with the development and integration of behavioral, psychosocial, and biomedical science knowledge and techniques relevant to the understanding of health and illness, and the application of this knowledge and these techniques to prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation.

Taking into account the impact of behavioral influences on high blood pressure and health, the International Journal of Hypertension is pleased to invite authors to submit papers for this special issue. This issue is aimed at providing a forum for publication of research papers, and review articles on new research findings and developments in psychosocial/biobehavioral mechanisms underlying high blood pressure and behavioral treatments for hypertension. Given the importance of psychosocial/behavioral factors in hypertension, this area requires cooperation between research communities from all over the world to share their knowledge and experience in order to contribute to improvements in prevention and control of this disease. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Psychosocial/behavioral risk factors
• Psychophysiological mechanisms
• Adherence
• Lifestyle factors, including diet, sodium, exercise, and stress
• Novel behavioural interventions

Articles published in this special issue will not be subject to the journal's Article Processing Charges.

Before submission authors should carefully read over the journal's Author Guidelines, which are located at http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijht/guidelines/. Prospective authors should submit an electronic copy of their complete manuscript through the journal Manuscript Tracking System at http://mts.hindawi.com/ according to the following timetable: