What is Hypertension?

Contents

Hypertension: Introduction
Types of Hypertension
Prognosis
Complications
Prevalence
Other names for Hypertension
Who gets Hypertension?
What causes Hypertension?
What are the symptoms of Hypertension?
Organs Affected by Hypertension
Can anyone else get Hypertension?
How is it treated?
Society issues for Hypertension
Hypertension: Introduction

What is Hypertension?

Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a very common and serious condition that can lead to and/or complicate ...more »

Hypertension: High blood pressure.
Hypertension: hypertension occurring without preexisting renal disease or known organic cause.
Source - Diseases Database
Hypertension: a common disorder in which blood pressure remains abnormally high (a reading of 140/90 mm Hg or greater).
Source - WordNet 2.1

Hypertension: Introduction

Types of 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.
- High-Normal Blood Pressure - systolic 130-139 mmHg or diastolic 85-89 mmHg.
- Hypertension Stage 1 - systolic 140-159 mmHg or diastolic < mmHg.
- Hypertension Stage 2 - systolic 160-179 mmHg or diastolic 90-99 mmHg.
- Hypertension Stage 3 - systolic >= 180 mmHg or diastolic >= 110 mmHg.
- Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) - high systolic pressure only.
Hypertension during pregnancy:
- Gestational hypertension - early stages of high blood pressure during pregnancy.
- Preeclampsia - severe high blood pressure during pregnancy; about 5% of pregnancies.
- Eclampsia - very severe pregnancy hypertension leading to seizures.
Pulmonary hypertension - hypertension occurring in the heart-lung arteries.
Malignant hypertension - occurring in younger adults than the normal profile for essential hypertension
more types...»

Broader types of Hypertension:

How many people get Hypertension?

Prevalance of Hypertension: 50 million Americans (NHLBI); 217 per 1000 (NHIS95)
Prevalance Rate of Hypertension: approx 1 in 5 or 18.38% or 50 million people in USA [about data]
Undiagnosed prevalence of Hypertension: more than 15 million (more than 30% of 50 million are undiagnosed)
Undiagnosed prevalence rate of Hypertension: approx 1 in 18 or 5.51% or 15 million people in USA [about data]
Worldwide prevalence: estimated 600 million people affected worldwide (Cardiovascular Diseases – Prevention and Control, WHO, 2001-2002)

Who gets Hypertension?

Patient Profile for Hypertension: Commonly older adults (over 40's); 60% of Americans over 60

Gender Profile for Hypertension: African American women have higher rates of hypertension than white women and Hispanic women. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 34.2% of the Black, non-Hispanic female population between 1998 and 1994 had hypertension 22.0% of Hispanic women and 19.3% of White, non-Hispanic women had hypertension during this time. (Source: excerpt from HYPERTENSION AND AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN: NWHIC)

Race Profile for Hypertension: More common and earlier in African Americans. Women: 34.2% African American women, 22.0% Hispanic women, 19.3% Caucasian women (NWHIC)

How serious is Hypertension?

Prognosis of Hypertension: The prognosis relies on the level of adherence to the treatment plan as well as the individual response to treatment.
Complications of Hypertension: see complications of Hypertension
Deaths for Hypertension: 16,968 annual deaths from primary hypertension and hypertensive renal disease in 1999 USA (NVSR Sep 2001)

What causes Hypertension?

Causes of Hypertension: see causes of Hypertension
Risk factors for Hypertension: see risk factors for Hypertension

What are the symptoms of Hypertension?

Symptoms of Hypertension: see symptoms of Hypertension

Complications of Hypertension: see complications of Hypertension

Can anyone else get Hypertension?

Inheritance: see inheritance of Hypertension

Hypertension: Testing

Diagnostic testing: see tests for Hypertension.

Misdiagnosis: see misdiagnosis and Hypertension.

How is it treated?

Treatments for Hypertension: see treatments for Hypertension
Alternative treatments for Hypertension: see alternative treatments for Hypertension
Prevention of Hypertension: see prevention of Hypertension
Research for Hypertension: see research for Hypertension

Society issues for Hypertension

Costs of Hypertension: $47.2 billion with $34.4b direct, $6.7b morbidity, $6.1bb mortality (NHLBI 2002)

Cost statistics for Hypertension: The following are statistics from various sources about costs and Hypertension:

$831 million spent on prevention and treatment in Australia 1993-94 (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2003)
more statistics...»

Hospitalization statistics for Hypertension: The following are statistics from various sources about hospitalizations and Hypertension:

0.17% (22,006) of hospital episodes were for hypertensive disease in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
79% of hospital consultations for hypertensive disease required hospital admission in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
52% of hospital episodes for hypertensive disease were for men in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
48% of hospital episodes for hypertensive disease were for women in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
50% of hospital admissions for hypertensive disease required emergency hospital admission in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
7.7 days was the mean length of stay in hospitals for hypertensive disease in England 2002-03 (Hospital Episode Statistics, Department of Health, England, 2002-03)
more statistics...»

Physician office visit statistics for Hypertension: The following are statistics from various sources about physician office visits and Hypertension:

10.4 million visits to physician office was due to hypertension in the US 2001 (National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2001 Survey, NCHS, CDC)
1.2 million visits to a hospital outpatient department was due to hypertension in the US 2002 (National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2001 Survey, NCHS, CDC)
10,467,000 people visited a physician’s office for hypertension in the US 2001 (National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2001)
1.2 million visits to a hospital outpatient department was due to hypertension in the US 2002 (National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2001 Survey, NCHS, CDC)
more statistics...»

Organs Affected by Hypertension:

Organs and body systems related to Hypertension include:

Name and Aliases of Hypertension

Main name of condition: Hypertension

Other names or spellings for Hypertension:

High Blood Pressure, Blood Pressure, High, Systemic hypertension, Essential hypertension, Hypertensive disease, the silent killer, silent killer, primary hypertension

Primary hypertension, Blood pressure raised, systemic, Gestosis [preeclampsia], PET [preeclampsia], Pre-eclamptic toxaemia [preeclampsia], Preeclampsia [preeclampsia] Source - Diseases Database

High blood pressure
Source - WordNet 2.1