CVS 14 - Hypertension Flashcards
Above which blood pressure is it considered abnormal?
140/90 mmHg
Describe how blood pressure may change with age.
- Systolic BP rises in a linear fashion.
- Diastolic BP plateaus and declines into old age
- ^This causes gap between systolic and diastolic BP to increase.
- Exponential risk between BP and stroke risk
How is hypertension classified?
- Identifiable causes - Secondary Hypertension (<5%). e.g. renal disease, tumours secreting aldosterone, oral contraceptive, etc
- Unidentifiable - Primary / essential (90-95%)
What is the most common cause of secondary hypertension?
Renal disease
Explain how genetics and environmental influences can contribute to high BP.
Genetics -
- Monogenic (rare - < 1%) -
- Complex polygenic
Environment -
- Dietary salt
- Obesity/overweight
- Alcohol
- Pre-natal environment
- Pregnancy
Give 2 monogenic causes of hypertension.
- Liddles Syndrome - mutation in amiloride-sensitive tubular epithelial Na channel
- Apparent mineralocorticoid excess - mutation in 11B-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase
5 things that hypertension can be associated with.
- Increased TPR
- Reduced arterial compliance (higher pulse pressure) - reduced distensibility of larger arteries.
- Normal CO
- Normal blood volume/extracellular volume
- Central shift in blood volume
What are the causes of increased TPR in hypertension?
- Active narrowing of arteries (vasoconstriction)
- Structural narrowing of arteries (vasoconstriction followed by remodelling of arteries). Lumen of arteries gets smaller.
- Loss of capillaries. Rarefaction = reduction in capillary density - resistance is increased.
What is isolated systolic hypertension?
- Systolic BP > 140, Diastolic BP < 90.
- Typically occurs in people over 60, as systolic and diastolic pressures diverge.
- Pulse wave is reflected - it bounces off the walls of the stiffened blood vessels. The wave is greater when it reaches the brachial artery.
What are 3 possible causes of primary hypertension
- Kidney
- Sympathetic Nervous System
- Endocrine/paracrine factors
How may the kidney be the cause of hypertension?
The kidney exerts a major role on BP by regulating Na/H2O/ECF volume
- Impaired renal function / blood flow is the commonest 2dary cause of hypertension (e.g. renal parenchymal disease)
- Most monogenic causes of hypertension affects renal Na excretion.
What consequential risks can hypertension cause
- CHD
- Stroke
- Peripheral Vascular Disease
- Heart failure
- Atrial fibrillation
- Dementia/cognitive impairment
- Retinopathy
Hypertension can cause structural changes in the heart. How?
LV wall may thicken (hypertrophy) and ventricular volume may change (remodelling)
Describe the relationship between hypertension and congestive heart failure?
- Heart Failure = inability to adequately pump out blood at normal filling pressures.
- Increases risk of CHF 2/3 fold
- Precedes heart failure in 90% of cases.
Hypertension is associated with large artery hypertrophy. What else is is associated with?
Accelerated atherosclerosis.
Can also cause an aneurysm, which may cause a thrombosis or haemorrhage is aneurysm ruptures.