Hypertension

Introduction: Hypertension

Hypertension is the condition of having high blood pressure. It is very common and affects around 50 million Americans of which about 30% are not yet diagnosed (NHLBI). Hypertension is an under-diagnosed condition because it causes damage to the body with no symptoms or only mild symptoms. It has been called a "silent killer" for this reason.

Correct diagnosis of the cause of high blood pressure is important. Most cases of chronic hypertension are "primary hypertension" but a small percentage are "secondary hypertension" where the rise in blood pressure is caused by another underlying condition. Hypertension during pregnancy is another common special case; it is called gestational hypertension, preeclampsia or eclampsia depending on its severity.

Symptoms of Hypertension

• No symptoms - many people are unaware they have hypertension until it is accidentally found at a doctor visit or they develop complications of hypertension
• Non-specific symptoms - symptoms of hypertension may be mild and vague
• Headache
• Morning headache
• Tinnitus

See full list of 12 symptoms of Hypertension

Home Diagnostic Testing

Home medical testing related to Hypertension:

• High Cholesterol: Home Testing:
  • Home Cholesterol Tests
  • Home Triglycerides Tests
  • Home Blood Pressure Tests
• High Blood Pressure: Home Testing
  • Home Blood Pressure Monitors
  • Home Heart Tests
• Heart Health: Home Testing:
  • Heart Rate Monitors
  • Irregular Heartbeat Detection
  • Heart Electrocardiogram (ECG)
• Diet & Weight Loss: Home Testing:
  • Home Weight Testing
  • Home Body Fat Testing (BMI)
  • Home Body Fat Monitoring
  • Home Fitness Testing
• Diabetes: Related Home Testing:
  • Home Diabetes Tests
  • Home Blood Glucose Tests
  • Home Urine Glucose Tests
  • Home Urine Ketone Tests
  • Home Diabetes HbA1c Tests
  • Home Microalbumin Tests (Kidney)
  • Home Urine Protein Tests (Kidney)
  • Home Kidney Tests
  • Home Eye Tests

Medical Textbooks Online about Hypertension

Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic Tests for Hypertension

• Sphygmomanometer (arm cuff blood pressure test)
• Home blood pressure tests
• Finger cuff blood pressure test

Read more about tests for Hypertension

Wrongly Diagnosed with Hypertension?

• Misdiagnosis of Hypertension
• Failure to diagnose Hypertension
• Underlying causes of Hypertension (possibly wrongly diagnosed)
• Failure to diagnose Hypertension

Misdiagnosis and Hypertension

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Blood pressure cuffs misdiagnose hypertension in children: One known misdiagnosis issue with hyperension, arises in relation to the simple equipment used to test blood pressure. The "cuff" around the arm to measure blood...read more »

Over-diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension in obese patients: A diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension, particularly pulmonary arterial hypertension, is often a misdiagnosis in obese patients. Exertional dyspnea leads to a...read more »

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Hypertension misdiagnosis common in children: Hypertension is often misdiagnosed in adults (see misdiagnosis of hypertension), but its misdiagnosis is even more likely in children. Some...read more »

Silent attack in diabetics: Heart disease is the leading cause of death among diabetics. Patients with type 2 diabetes above the age of 60-65 years are susceptible to silent heart attacks.Diabetes being a multi systemic...read more »

Lack of early signs in renal cell carcinoma: Renal cell carcinoma lacks early warning signs and makes a much generalised presentation. Hence the...read more »

Cushing's syndrome of obesity?: Cushing’s syndrome usually occurs due to chronic steroid administration, bilateral adrenal hyperplasia, adrenal tumour and ACTH excess. Morbidity and...read more »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Hypertension

Causes of Hypertension

• Essential hypertension - about 90-95% of cases of hypertension
• Gestational hypertension - occurring during pregnancy.
• Arteriosclerosis
• Metabolic syndrome
• PCOS

See full list of 15 causes of Hypertension

More information about causes of Hypertension:

• Medications, drugs, or substances causing Hypertension (285 listings)
• Drug interactions causing Hypertension (109 listings)
• Underlying causes of Hypertension
• Hypertension as a complication caused by other conditions
• Hypertension as a symptom
• Medical news summaries relating to Causes of Hypertension

Treatments for Hypertension

• Lifestyle changes
  • Lose weight - if overweight
  • Low-salt/low-sodium diet
  • DASH diet - Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension
  • Exercise

See full list of 90 treatments for Hypertension

Videos for Hypertension

Patient Surveys for Hypertension

• Patient Profile Survey
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• Survey about the symptoms of your Hypertension
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Prognosis for Hypertension

More about prognosis of Hypertension

Reseach about Hypertension

Visit our research pages for current research about Hypertension treatments.

Clinical Trials for Hypertension

The US based website ClinicalTrials.gov lists information on both federally and privately supported clinical trials using human volunteers.

Some of the clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for Hypertension include:

• Labetalol Versus MgSO4 for the Prevention of Eclampsia Trial - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - labetalol (seizure prevention),MgSO4 (seizure prevention)
• The Relaxation and Blood Pressure in Pregnancy (REBIP) Study - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• Effectiveness of the DASH Diet at Reducing High Blood Pressure - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• A 16 Week Study to Evaluate the Effect on Insulin Sensitivity of Valsartan (320 Mg) and Hydrochlorothiazide (25 Mg) Combined and Alone, in Patients With Metabolic Syndrome - This study is no longer recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - valsartan plus hydrochlorothiazide
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Evaluating Kidney Function - This study has been completed (Current: 23 Nov 2006)

See full list of 1059 Clinical Trials for Hypertension

Prevention of Hypertension

Prevention information for Hypertension has been compiled from various data sources and may be inaccurate or incomplete. None of these methods guarantee prevention of Hypertension.

• Healthy weight
• Lose weight - if you are overweight.
• Physical activity
• Exercise
• Healthy diet

Read more about prevention of Hypertension

Statistics for Hypertension

• Medical statistics for Hypertension
• Prevalence and incidence statistics for Hypertension
• Death and Mortality statistics for Hypertension
• Society statistics for Hypertension

Types of Hypertension

• Primary Hypertension - the main type with no underlying cause
• Secondary Hypertension - where it is caused by some other underlying condition; much less common than primary hypertension.
• Hypertension subtypes based on ranges:
  • Optimal Blood Pressure - systolic < 120 mmHg and diastolic < 80 mmHg.
  • Normal Blood Pressure - systolic < 130 mmHg and diastolic < 85 mmHg.

See full list of 16 Types of Hypertension

Stories from Users Related to Hypertension

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User Interactive Forums

Read about other experiences, ask a question about Hypertension, or answer someone else's question, on our message boards:

• I can not get a diagnosis. Please help.
• Tell us your medical story.
• Share your misdiagnosis story.
• What is the best treatment for this?
• See all the forums.

Article Excerpts about Hypertension

Blood pressure measures the force of blood against the walls of your blood vessels. Blood pressure that remains high over time is called hypertension. Extra fluid in your body increases the amount of fluid in your blood vessels and makes your blood pressure higher. Narrow or clogged blood vessels also raise blood pressure. (Source: excerpt from High Blood Pressure and Kidney Disease: NIDDK)

Definitions of Hypertension:

Hypertension occurring without preexisting renal disease or known organic cause. - (Source - Diseases Database)

A common disorder in which blood pressure remains abnormally high (a reading of 140/90 mm Hg or greater) - (Source - WordNet 2.1)