Treatment for Hypertension

Since a combination of medications may be used during treatment in the patients selected for this study, it is not impossible that the results obtained by others may be different.

Most hypertension is not caused by high levels of blood pressure: some form of cardiovascular disease causes most cases when they are detectable. Diabetes mellitus is a common cause of elevated blood pressure among the elderly.

A large and growing body of clinical and laboratory evidence, mainly in adults, points to hypertension as being a risk factor for atherosclerosis and its pathological complications.

Hypertension is usually asymptomatic until it is advanced enough to cause symptoms such as claudication of the renal arteries. The first sign may be lower extremity swelling or tenderness to pressure, but there may also be at least some kidney stone formation in the kidney.

The most effective treatments for high blood pressure are lifestyle changes, namely exercise, weight control and a healthy diet, when coupled with antihypertensive therapy. Other treatments such as antihypertensives may be ineffective if a person's risk factors for heart disease, stroke or dementia persist. Further research into alternative therapeutic options and approaches in the prevention and management of blood pressure is encouraged.

About 60 million US adults have been advised by a doctor to change some way of life to lower blood pressure. In the United States, approximately 18% of men and 20% of women are estimated to have high blood pressure, so between 50 and 66 million adults are at high risk.

While hypertension is often treated with various medications and/or lifestyle changes, physical activity and/or weight reduction are efficacious lifestyle choices in reducing hypertension and are associated with improving quality of life.

It is evident that a substantial number of patients are treated empirically, perhaps for reasons other than the severity of their condition. As a percentage of all patients presenting with hypertension, about 40% will have a treatment indication, which is an important consideration. The percentage of patients treated empirically is highest in those with hypertension that is not controlled on pharmacological treatment as their treatment indication.

Treatment of hypertension with or without medication, with the recommended dose over a 1-year period in a primary care setting, can achieve blood pressure goal, or be achieved more commonly in other healthcare settings. It is not necessarily possible to attribute any particular treatment to any one effector (biomechanical) or to any one mechanism of change (biologic).

Significant heritability was found herein. Significant gene x environment interaction for diastolic blood pressure was also found in both fathers and mothers. There is a need for further genetic studies in both fathers and mothers to elucidate the genetic susceptibility to offspring hypertensive risk.

The goal of therapy for secondary hypertension is to achieve control of blood pressure and prevent additional damage to the circulatory system due to the adverse effects of elevated blood pressure on vessel walls and kidneys. Thus, therapy will vary depending upon the level of blood pressure, the cause(s) of secondary hypertension, and the individual presenting with clinical symptoms and signs of hypertension.\n\nThe International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is a comprehensive, WHO-wide, systematic approach towards the conceptualization, classification and description of health conditions, in both diagnosis and rehabilitation. The first edition was published in 2001, and a revised second edition was released in April 2012.