Chronic hypertension natural history

Hypertension Main page
Overview
Causes
Classification Primary Hypertension Secondary Hypertension Hypertensive Emergency Hypertensive Urgency
Screening

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor in Chief: Firas Ghanem, M.D. and Atif Mohammad, M.D.

Complications

While elevated blood pressure alone is not an illness, it often requires treatment due to its short- and long-term effects on many organs. The risk is increased for:

• Cerebrovascular accident (CVAs or strokes)
• Myocardial infarction (heart attack)
• Hypertensive cardiomyopathy (heart failure due to chronically high blood pressure)
• Hypertensive retinopathy - damage to the retina
• Hypertensive nephropathy - chronic renal failure due to chronically high blood pressure