BLOOD PRESSURE. A CONSIDERATION OF TERMINOLOGY

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Medical Terminology
• Public Health

Background:

• Evolving understanding of hypertension necessitates updated terminology.
• Traditional terms like "normal," "benign," and "essential" hypertension may no longer accurately reflect current knowledge.
• The relationship between blood pressure levels and mortality requires re-evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose revised terminology for blood pressure classification.
• To redefine blood pressure ranges based on mortality data.
• To shift the conceptualization of hypertension from a disease to a symptom.

Main Methods:

• Statistical analysis of mortality data across different blood pressure levels.
• Review and critique of existing hypertension terminology.
• Proposal of new classification ranges and diagnostic phrasing.

Main Results:

• The lowest mortality rates are observed at blood pressure levels often considered subnormal.
• Increasing blood pressure above this optimal level correlates with progressively higher mortality.
• Existing terms are statistically unsupported and should be replaced.

Conclusions:

• The terms "normal," "benign," and "essential" hypertension should be discontinued.
• Suggested new ranges are "optimal," "acceptable," and "hypertensive" blood pressure.
• Hypertension should be classified as a symptom, qualified by its cause.