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Hypertension

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

High blood pressure; HBP; Blood pressure - high

Treatment:

The goal of treatment is to reduce blood pressure so that you have a lower risk of complications.

There are many different medicines that can be used to treat high blood pressure. Such medicines include:

• Alpha blockers
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
• Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs)
• Beta-blockers
• Calcium channel blockers
• Central alpha agonists
• Diuretics
• Renin inhibitors, including aliskiren (Tekturna)
• Vasodilators

Medicines used if the blood pressure is very high may include:

• Clonidine
• Diazoxide
• Furosemide
• Hydralazine
• Minoxidil
• Nitroprusside

Your doctor may also tell you to exercise, lose weight, and follow a healthier diet. If you have pre-hypertension, your doctor will recommend the same lifestyle changes to bring your blood pressure down to normal range.

Expectations (prognosis):

Most of the time, hypertension can be controlled with medicine and lifestyle changes.

Complications:

• Aortic dissection
• Blood vessel damage ( arteriosclerosis )
• Brain damage
• Congestive heart failure
• Kidney damage
• Kidney failure
• Heart attack
• Hypertensive heart disease
• Stroke
• Vision loss

Calling your health care provider:

If you have high blood pressure, you will have regularly scheduled appointments with your doctor.

Even if you have not been diagnosed with high blood pressure, it is important to have your blood pressure checked during your yearly check-up, especially if someone in your family has or had high blood pressure.

Call your health care provider right away if home monitoring shows that your blood pressure remains high or you have any of the following symptoms:

• Chest pain
• Confusion
• Excessive tiredness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Severe headache
• Shortness of breath
• Significant sweating
• Vision changes

References:

Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC 7). Rockville, Md. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, US Department of Health and Human Services; August 2004. National Institutes of Health Publication No. 04-5230.

Wang Y, Wang QJ. The prevalence of prehypertension and hypertension among US adults according to the new joint national committee guidelines: new challenges of the old problem. Arch Intern Med . 2004;164(19):2126-34.

Eyre H, Kahn R, Robertson RM, et al. Preventing cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes: A common agenda for the American Cancer Society, the American Diabetes Association, and the American Heart Association. Circulation . 2004;109(25):3244-55.

Berg AO. Screening for High Blood Pressure Recommendations and Rationale U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. USPSTF Guide to Clin Preventive Services . June 1, 2003; 1.

Whelton PK, He J, Appel LJ, et al. Primary prevention of hypertension: Clinical and public health advisory from The National High Blood Pressure Education Program. JAMA. 2002;288(15):1882-8.

• Review Date: 6/4/2007
• Reviewed By: Larry A. Weinrauch, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and Private practice specializing in Cardiovascular Disease,Watertown, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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