Essential hypertension, hypertension, chronic arterial hypertension, hypertensive crisis
- English: arterial hypertension
- Medical: Arterial hypertension
What is hypertension?
The first value of the blood pressure stands for the systolic, the second for the diastolic blood pressure. The systolic value is the pressure in the vascular system during the contraction of the heart and the diastolic value is the same during the subsequent dilatation of the heart. High blood pressure (arterial hypertension) occurs when the heart has to perform an increased pumping action and transports more blood into the body than is normally pumped per heartbeat (increased cardiac output = volume high pressure) or when the resistance which the vascular system offers the heart is increased (increased peripheral resistance = resistance high pressure) or when these two factors are present simultaneously. The increased resistance in the vascular system is the far more common cause of chronic arterial hypertension. The blood pressure value is calculated according to the following equation: blood pressure (RR)= cardiac output (HRV) * vascular resistance (TPR= total peripheral resistance).
Definition of high blood pressure
The disease high blood pressure (arterial hypertension) is present when values above 140 /90 mmHg (spoken: 140 to 90 millimeters of mercury) occur during repeated, independent measurements at different times. This definition is taken from the current guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Frequency (epidemiology)
Occurrence in the populationCirca 25% of the population in the western industrial nations have high blood pressure. In the over-50s of this population group, this value rises up to 50%. The frequency of occurrence of high blood pressure increases with increasing age, i.e. older people have a higher blood pressure than younger people.
Stages of high blood pressure according to values
Categories: High blood pressure:
- Optimal:systolic: <120 mmHgdiastolic: <80 mmHg
- Systolic: <120 mmHg
- Diastolic: <80 mmHg
- Normal:systolic: <130 mmHgdiastolic: <85 mmHg
- Systolic: <130 mmHg
- Diastolic: <85 mmHg
- High normal:systolic: 130-139 mmHgdiastolic: 85-89 mmHg
- Systolic: 130-139 mmHg
- Diastolic: 85-89 mmHg
- Systolic: <120 mmHg
- Diastolic: <80 mmHg
- Systolic: <130 mmHg
- Diastolic: <85 mmHg
- Systolic: 130-139 mmHg
- Diastolic: 85-89 mmHg
- Stage 1 (mild hypertension):systolic: 140-159 mmHgdiastolic: 90-99 mmHg
- Systolic: 140-159 mmHg
- Diastolic: 90-99 mmHg
- Stage 2 (moderate hypertension):systolic: 160-179 mmHgdiastolic: 100-109 mmHg
- Systolic: 160-179 mmHg
- Diastolic: 100-109 mmHg
- Stage 3 (severe hypertension):systolic: 180-209 mmHgdiastolic: 110-119 mmHg
- Systolic: 180-209 mmHg
- Diastolic: 110-119 mmHg
- Stage 4 (very severe hypertension):systolic: 210 mmHgdiastolic: 120 mmHg
- Systolic: 210 mmHg
- Diastolic: 120 mmHg
- Isolated systolic hypertension:systolic: 140 mmHgdiastolic: <90 mmHg
- Systolic: 140 mmHg
- Diastolic: <90 mmHg
- Systolic: 140-159 mmHg
- Diastolic: 90-99 mmHg
- Systolic: 160-179 mmHg
- Diastolic: 100-109 mmHg
- Systolic: 180-209 mmHg
- Diastolic: 110-119 mmHg
- Systolic: 210 mmHg
- Diastolic: 120 mmHg
- Systolic: 140 mmHg
- Diastolic: <90 mmHg
