Arterial Hypertension

Blood pressure is closely associated with major cardiovascular events, such as myocardial infarction, stroke, and premature death. Hypertension is one of the most important cardiovascular risk factors. The new 2018 ESC Guidelines define ideal blood pressure as <120/80 mmHg; normal blood pressure <120–129/80–84 mmHg and higher levels of blood pressure as high normal and stage 1 to 3 hypertension. More than 95% of hypertension is primary in nature, while a minority of secondary forms of hypertension, mostly treatable conditions, are due to endocrine and renal disease. In hypertension, lowering blood pressure markedly reduces stroke and cardiovascular deaths, and to a lesser degree, myocardial infarction. This can be achieved by anti-hypertensive drugs, i.e. diuretics, calcium antagonists, RAAS inhibitors, beta blockers. More recently renal nerve ablation with radiofrequency and ultrasound energy has been used in resistant hypertension.