Condition Lookup

Essential Hypertension (Primary Hypertension)

Sub-category: Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

Symptoms:
often asymptomatic; headaches; dizziness; blurred vision; shortness of breath; nosebleeds (rare)

Root Cause:
Chronic elevation of blood pressure with no identifiable secondary cause, likely due to genetic and environmental factors.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Repeated blood pressure measurements; ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM); basic labs (CBC, CMP, lipid panel, urinalysis); EKG to check for complications

Treatment:
Lifestyle changes, dietary modifications (DASH diet), regular physical activity, weight management, and pharmacological interventions.

Medications:
First-line medications include thiazide diuretics (e.g., hydrochlorothiazide ), ACE inhibitors (e.g., lisinopril ), ARBs (e.g., losartan ), calcium channel blockers (e.g., amlodipine ), and beta-blockers (e.g., metoprolol , used in select patients).

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Affects approximately 30-45% of adults globally; prevalence increases with age.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Family history; obesity; high salt intake; sedentary lifestyle; smoking; alcohol consumption; stress; age (older individuals)

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Can be well-managed with treatment; untreated hypertension significantly increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Left ventricular hypertrophy; heart failure; stroke; chronic kidney disease; retinopathy; vascular dementia

Secondary Hypertension

Specialty: Cardiovascular

Category: Vascular Diseases

Sub-category: Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

Symptoms:
depends on underlying cause; persistent elevated blood pressure; fatigue; headaches; chest pain; dizziness

Root Cause:
Elevated blood pressure due to an identifiable cause, such as kidney disease, hormonal disorders (e.g., hyperaldosteronism, Cushing's syndrome), or medication side effects.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Detailed medical history; physical exam; labs (renal function, hormone levels); imaging (renal ultrasound, CT scan); 24-hour urine studies

Treatment:
Treatment focuses on addressing the underlying cause (e.g., surgery for adrenal tumors, discontinuation of causative medications) and controlling blood pressure with lifestyle changes and medications.

Medications:
Treatment may include ACE inhibitors, ARBs, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, or diuretics, depending on the underlying cause. For specific causes like hyperaldosteronism, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (e.g., spironolactone ) are used.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Accounts for approximately 5-10% of hypertension cases.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Kidney disease; endocrine disorders; renal artery stenosis; medication use (e.g., NSAIDs, decongestants); sleep apnea

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Prognosis depends on the underlying cause; blood pressure can often be normalized or significantly improved with appropriate treatment.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Progression to essential hypertension; organ damage (heart, kidneys, eyes); stroke; cardiovascular disease

Hypertensive Crisis

Specialty: Cardiovascular

Category: Vascular Diseases

Sub-category: Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

Symptoms:
severe headache; blurred vision; shortness of breath; chest pain; confusion; nausea/vomiting; nosebleeds

Root Cause:
Sudden, severe elevation of blood pressure (≥180/120 mmHg) with or without acute organ damage. Hypertensive emergency involves organ damage, while urgency does not.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Blood pressure measurement; assessment for end-organ damage (e.g., labs for kidney function, EKG, imaging for stroke or heart damage)

Treatment:
Immediate reduction of blood pressure in a controlled manner to prevent or minimize organ damage. In emergencies, intravenous medications are used.

Medications:
For hypertensive emergencies, IV medications such as nitroprusside (vasodilator), labetalol (beta-blocker), or nicardipine (calcium channel blocker). For urgency, oral medications like captopril (ACE inhibitor) or clonidine (alpha agonist) are used.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Relatively rare, but more common in patients with poorly controlled hypertension or non-adherence to treatment.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Uncontrolled hypertension; kidney disease; pheochromocytoma; pregnancy-related hypertension (e.g., preeclampsia); sudden discontinuation of antihypertensive medications

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
With prompt treatment, prognosis is good; delayed treatment can lead to permanent organ damage or death.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Stroke; heart attack; acute kidney injury; pulmonary edema; aortic dissection

Pulmonary Hypertension

Specialty: Cardiovascular

Category: Vascular Diseases

Sub-category: Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

Symptoms:
shortness of breath (especially during exertion); fatigue; chest pain; palpitations; leg swelling (edema); syncope (fainting)

Root Cause:
Elevated blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries, often caused by underlying conditions such as heart or lung disease, or idiopathic origins.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Echocardiogram; right heart catheterization (gold standard); chest X-ray; CT or MRI of the chest; blood tests for autoimmune or infectious causes

Treatment:
Depends on the underlying cause and includes supportive care, oxygen therapy, medications to lower pulmonary artery pressure, and, in severe cases, lung transplantation.

Medications:
Endothelin receptor antagonists (e.g., bosentan); phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (e.g., sildenafil, tadalafil); prostacyclin analogs (e.g., epoprostenol); calcium channel blockers (for select patients)

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare; prevalence varies by subgroup (e.g., idiopathic pulmonary hypertension is ~5-15 cases per million adults annually).

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Connective tissue diseases; congenital heart disease; chronic lung diseases (e.g., COPD, interstitial lung disease); family history; HIV infection; drug/toxin exposure (e.g., certain weight loss drugs)

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Chronic and progressive; survival depends on the underlying cause and treatment. With advanced therapies, quality of life and survival rates have improved.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Right heart failure; arrhythmias; blood clots; pulmonary edema; sudden cardiac death