Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a persistent elevation of pressure in the arteries. It is important because it often causes no noticeable symptoms while increasing the risk of serious cardiovascular, kidney, vision, and brain complications.
Blood pressure describes the force of blood against the walls of the arteries. It is recorded as two numbers in millimeters of mercury (mmHg): systolic pressure, the pressure when the heart contracts, and diastolic pressure, the pressure when the heart relaxes between beats.
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What is hypertension?
A long-term condition in which blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated.
What do systolic and diastolic pressure describe?
Systolic pressure is measured during heart contraction; diastolic pressure is measured while the heart relaxes between beats.
What is primary hypertension?
Hypertension without one clearly identifiable cause, usually arising from an interaction of genetic and lifestyle factors.
What is secondary hypertension?
High blood pressure attributable to an identifiable cause, such as kidney disease, an endocrine disorder, or certain medicines.
Name three important complications associated with hypertension.
Examples include stroke, coronary artery disease, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, vision loss, and dementia.
Quiz questions
What distinguishes a hypertensive emergency from a hypertensive urgency?Answer: The presence of acute damage to one or more organs.
How is hypertension generally confirmed in an adult?Answer: By elevated resting readings on at least two separate occasions.
Which combination of blood-pressure medicines is not recommended?Answer: An ACE inhibitor together with an ARB.
Which test can help assess kidney filtration during an initial hypertension evaluation?Answer: Serum creatinine used to estimate glomerular filtration rate.
Based on the Wikipedia article Hypertension, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.