Treatment of Hypertension in Adults Flashcards
What are ABPM & HBPM?
Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring, automatically takes BP every 1/2 hour
Home Blood Pressure Monitoring, the patient has to take it themselves a few times a day
What are the problems with HBPM?
Patients will often keep taking their pressures till they get a good result.
Or even just forget to do it
Define Stage 1 Hypertension?
Clinical BP - 140/90mmHg
ABPM average daytime pressure - 135/85 mmHg
Define Stage 2 Hypertension?
Clinical BP - 160/100 mmHg
ABPM average daytime pressure - 150/90 mmHg
Define Severe Hypertension?
Clinical BP - Systolic 180 or Diastolic 110.
What happens to BP at night?
It should always dip a little lower than daytime.
If they lose it their risk of stroke skyrockets
What are the main risk factors that compound hypertension?
Any previous MI, Stroke or IHD Smoking Diabetes Mellitus Hypercholesterolaemia Family History of Heart Disease
Can also assess risk by physical examination
How do we assess the level of end-organ damage caused by hypertension?
ECG + ECHO —-> LVH
ACR —-> Proteinuria —> Renal Disease
Renal Ultrasound + eGFR —> Renal Disease
What is an ACR test?
A urine albumin to creatine ratio
What is eGFR?
Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate.
A good measure of renal function
What common causes of hypertension can we screen for?
- Renal artery stenosis or Fibromuscular Dysplasia
- Cushing’s Disease
- Conn’s Syndrome
- Sleep Apnoea
What tool do we use for assessing risk of cardiac disease/stroke based on someones hypertension?
The Assign Risk Calculator (Q-Risk)
What do we do after assessing someones risk before we plan treatment?
Asign a target blood pressure.
Recommended to aim for <135/80mmHg (145/85 in people over 80)
What level of CVD risk are we recommended to start treatment at?
20% risk of CVD within the next 10 years
We take a ‘stepped’ approach to treatment, what does this mean?
We introduce one new drug to current treatment at a time until they begin to work
Why do we use low doses of several drugs instead of one high dose?
Low doses prevent serious side effects but have almost the same biological action
Whats the difference between hypertension in the young and old?
The young have High Renin Hypertension
The old have Low Renin Hypertension
What are the 3 classes of drugs used for hypertension treatment?
A - ACE Inhibitor (angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor)
C - Calcium Channel Blocker
D - Thiazide Type Diuretic
What kind of drug do we start with in young hypertensives?
An ACE inhibitor
What drug type do we start with in the elderly?
A calcium channel blocker or thiazide type diuretic
Why should we avoid ACE inhibitors in young women if possible?
ACE inhibitors are teratogenic, so if the women happen to fall pregnant it can cause congenital disorders,
We don’t always treat stage 1 hypertension, in what case would we?
If theyre under 80 with stage 1 hypertension and any of the following:
- Target Organ Damage
- Establised CVD
- Renal Disease
- Diabetes
- A 20% CVD risk over 10 years
Do we treat everyone with stage 2 hypertension?
Yes no matter theyre age.
The patient is <40 yrs old with atleast stage 1 hypertension, what extra do you do for them?
Refer to a specialist for:
- Evaluation of target organ damage
- Evaluation of possible secondary causes
What should we consider before treating the elderly?
Side effects, they will effect the elderly more and you dont want to do more harm than good,
How do you monitor the BP of someone your treating if they ‘white coat effect’?
With ABPM or HBPM
Do we treat black people differently because they’re genetic salt retainers?
Yes we treat black people of any age the same as we treat other races over 55 yrs.
What do we offer as step 1 treatment for those over 55 or afro-carribeans of any age?
A calcium channel blocker?
What do we offer as an alternative step 1 treatment to over 55s and why would we need to?
A thiazide Type Diuretic
We cant give a CCB if theres evidence of oedema, intolerance or Heart Failure.
What do we give under 55s for step 1 treatment?
An ACE inhibitor or ARB