Diagnosis of High Blood pressure
A complete history, physical examination and certain diagnostic tests are recommended, once the presence of hypertension has been confirmed.
An accurate Blood Pressure measurement is the key to diagnosis of hypertension. An average of three Blood Pressure readings, each taken 2 min apart is preferable to ascertain the diagnosis. Blood pressure should be measured in both the supine and sitting positions. Patients should be encouraged to abstain from smoking and caffeine intake for at least 30 min before the measurement.
Once the diagnosis of hypertension has been established, it is necessary to identify the presence of any risk factors, secondary causes of hypertension and any evidence of end-organ damage.
Initial, screening tests should be simple. Following are required for initial assessment.
Further investigations are carried out in order to outline other cardiovascular risk factors and to detect target organ damage with only limited screening for secondary hypertension.
The cardiovascular risk of hypertension can be determined from the evidence of the following:1
- Target organ damage to the eyes, heart and kidneys.
- Coexisting illness such as diabetes or hypercholesterolemia.
- Lifestyle risk factors such as obesity and smoking.
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Written by: Healthplus24 team
Date last updated: May 14, 2011