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Published on: September 26, 2018

Assessment of global risk: a foundation for a new, better definition of hypertension

Thomas D Giles1

  • 1Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA. tgiles4@cox.net

Journal of Clinical Hypertension (Greenwich, Conn.)
|August 9, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Hypertension is a progressive cardiovascular syndrome with early markers appearing before sustained blood pressure elevation. Early detection and treatment of prehypertension can prevent its development.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Medicine
  • Hypertension Research

Background:

  • Increasing prevalence of elevated blood pressure (BP) necessitates improved understanding of hypertension pathogenesis.
  • Hypertension is linked to other cardiovascular risk factors, with a linear increase in risk.
  • Current understanding lacks a specific BP threshold for cardiovascular risk identification.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a revised definition of hypertension.
  • To highlight early cardiovascular markers preceding sustained BP elevation.
  • To emphasize the importance of assessing BP within global cardiovascular risk.

Main Methods:

  • Expert consensus on a new definition of hypertension.
  • Identification of early cardiovascular markers (e.g., widened pulse pressure, left ventricular hypertrophy, arterial stiffness, endothelial dysfunction, microalbuminuria).
  • Review of recent findings on antihypertensive treatment for prehypertension.

Main Results:

  • Proposed definition: Hypertension as a progressive cardiovascular syndrome with complex etiologies.
  • Early markers are often present before sustained BP elevation.
  • Antihypertensive treatment for prehypertension prevents progression to frank hypertension.

Conclusions:

  • A revised definition of hypertension as a progressive cardiovascular syndrome is proposed.
  • Early detection of cardiovascular markers is crucial.
  • Assessing BP in the context of global cardiovascular risk enables earlier identification of at-risk individuals.

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