Hypertensive Conditions: Essential (Primary) Hypertension in Adults

Blood pressure (BP) screening using an office-based measurement is recommended for adults 18 years and older without a history of hypertension. If abnormal, the BP measurement should be repeated twice with the average of those final two readings used to determine the BP category. Home BP monitoring and ambulatory BP monitoring are beneficial in patients for whom there is a concern for masked or white-coat hypertension. Guidelines differ regarding the BP cutoff used for the diagnosis of hypertension. Lifestyle modifications are the foundation of hypertension management with the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet being the most effective dietary modification. First-line pharmacotherapy should include one or more of the following: an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, an angiotensin receptor blocker, a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker, and a thiazide or thiazidelike diuretic. Compared with standard BP control, intensive BP control (ie, systolic BP less than 120 mm Hg) leads to a decrease in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in patients with elevated risk but increases adverse effects, including hypotension, electrolyte abnormalities, acute kidney injury, and syncope.