Hypertension - Aetiology, Pathophysiology and Treatment Flashcards
What is the no. 1 cause of preventable mortality/morbidity in the world?
Hypertension.
2mmHg rise in BP:
7% increased risk mortality from IHD
10% increased risk mortality from stroke.
Most —-/—— treatment ever reviewed by nice.
Cost effective.
What are the end organ damage complications of hypertension?
Brain - haemorrhage, stroke, cognitive decline.
Retinopathy
Peripheral vascular disease
Kidney - renal failure, dialysis, transplantation, proteinuria.
Heart - LVH, coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, MI.
When does BP vary?
Physical and mental stress cause it to rise.
Define hypertension.
That blood pressure above which the benefits of treatment outweigh the risks in terms of morbidity and mortality.
What is BP distribution like in the population?
Exhibits a normal distribution within the population (bell shaped curve).
What did the Framingham study find?
Increasing BP is associated with a progressive increase in the risk of stroke and CV disease.
Risk rises exponentially not linearly with pressure. Age plays significant role also.
At what blood pressure is a patient hypertensive?
Different guidelines.
BHS 140/90
JNC 140/90 opt <120/<80
WHO-ISH 140/90
What are the NICE definitions for the three stages of hypertension?
Stage 1 hypertension - clinical BP is 140/90mmHg +. ABPM daytime average 135/85mmHg +.
Stage 2 hypertension - clinical BP is 160/100mmHg +. ABPM daytime average 150/95mmHg +.
Severe hypertension - clinical systolic BP is 180mmHg or diastolic BP is 110mmHg +.
What is the aetiology in the majority of cases?
In 90% cases no cause can be found.
Primary hypertension.
What is the aetiology in the rest of the cases?
Secondary hypertension as a result of:
chronic renal disease, renal artery stenosis, endocrine disease, Cushings, Conn’s syndrome, Pheochromocytoma, GRA…
What factors increase risk of morbidity in hypertension?
Smoking (adds 10/20 mmHg) Diabetes mellitus (5-30x inc MI) Renal disease Male (x2) Hyperlipidaemia Previous MI/stroke LVH (x2).
Say the risk factors for CV disease in order of their risk.
Low fitness, hypertension, smoking, diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol.
Blood pressure is controlled by an integrated system, what are the prime contributors to blood pressure?
CO, HR, SV and peripheral vascular resistance.
All of which can be manipulated by drug therapy.
What is the effect of the sympathetic system on the CV system?
Vasoconstriction, reflex tachycardia, increased CO.
Action of sympathetic system are rapid and account for second to second BP control.
Which system is pivotal in long term BP control?
The Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone system.
What is the RAAS responsible for?
Maintenance of sodium balance
Control of BP and blood volume.
What is the RAAS stimulated by?
Fall in BP
Fall in circulating volume
Sodium depletion.
Where is renin released from?
Juxtaglomerular apparatus.
What does renin do?
Converts angiotensinogen to angiotensin I.
What converts angiotensin I into angiotensin II?
Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE).
What is the role of angiotensin II?
It is a potent vasoconstrictor, anti-natriuretic peptide, stimulator of aldosterone release from adrenal glands.
Also a potent hypertrophic agent which stimulates myocyte and smooth muscle hypertrophy in the arterioles.
What is aldosterone?
A potent anti-natriuretic and antidiuretic peptide.
What are poor prognostic indicators in hypertensive patients?
Myocyte and smooth muscle hypertrophy.
Partially explains why hypertension and risks of hypertension persist in some patients despite treatment.
So what are the two main systems you want to target in hypertension treatment?
Sympathetic and RAAS.
What is the aetiology of hypertension?
Polygenic - major genes, poly genes.
Polyfactorial - environmental, individual and shared.
What are the two most likely causes of hypertension?
Increased reactivity of resistance vessels –> increase in peripheral resistance (as a result of a hereditary defect of smooth muscle lining arterioles).
A sodium homeostatic effect - in essential hypertension, kidneys unable to excrete right amount of sodium, so sodium and fluid retained –> BP increases.
What are some other factors that involved in the aetiology of hypertension?
Age, genetics, family history, environment, weight, alcohol intake, race.
BP tends to rise with age, why is this?
Possibly as a result of decreased arterial compliance.
How should hypertension be treated in the elderly?
Aggressively, they have more to lose. But must be pragmatic.
Discuss how genetics affect the risk of getting hypertension.
A history of hypertension tends to run in family. Closest correlation between sibs rather than parent and child. Possible that environmental factors common have a role.
How many genes are recognised as important in the development of hypertension?
> 30 genes, but individually they account for at most 0.5mmHg each.
What environmental things can cause hypertension?
Mental/physical stress (removing stress doesn’t necessarily return BP to normal).
How can salt intake and diet affect hypertension?
Strong relationship between hypertension, stroke and salt intake. Reducing salt intake in hypertensive individuals does lower BP. However reducing salt in normotensives appears to have little effect.
What is the relationship between alcohol and hypertension?
One of the commonest causes of hypertension in the young scot. Affects 1% population. Small amounts of alcohol tend to decrease BP, large amounts tend to increase BP. If alcohol is reduced BP will fall over several days to weeks. Average fall is 5/3mmHg.
Obese patients have a lower/higher BP.
Higher.
What percentage of hypertension is attributable in part or wholly to obesity?
30%.
What effect will losing weight have on obese patients BP?
BP will fall.
If untreated patient loses 9Kg has been reported to produce fall in BP of 19/18 mmHg.
In treated patients a fall of 30/21 mmHg reported.