Last updated on March 17th, 2024 at 12:41 pm
Introduction to High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), approximately 220 million people in the country live with different types of hypertension. Hypertension or high blood pressure is a condition in which your blood pressure (BP) is higher than normal.
This blog will take you through the various types of hypertension, which include primary and secondary hypertension. These can also have further subtypes. Let’s delve deeper into the types of high blood pressure.
Different Types of Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
There are two main types of hypertension – primary or essential and secondary.
1) Primary hypertension:
When the cause of high blood pressure is unidentifiable, it is called primary or essential hypertension. This condition develops over the years. In India, one in four individuals has hypertension. Most of them have the primary type.
A combination of various factors, such as smoking, alcoholism, stress, obesity/overweight, excessive salt intake, and a sedentary lifestyle, leads to hypertension. Lifestyle and food habit modification may help lower your BP and prevent possible risks and complications.
2) Secondary hypertension:
This type of hypertension occurs when there is an underlying cause behind elevated blood pressure. It accounts for only 10% of all types of hypertension in India. Some of the potential reasons for secondary hypertension include the following:
- Renal artery stenosis (narrowing of the arteries of your kidney)
- Adrenal gland tumours
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Hormonal imbalance
- Issues with the thyroid gland
- Kidney disease
- Congenital heart defects
- Certain medications such as antidepressants, birth control pills, painkillers
- Substance addiction involving amphetamines and cocaine
Subtypes of Hypertension
Other than primary and secondary high blood pressure, there are various other types of hypertension. These are different subtypes of hypertension based on the origin of the condition or the cause of development.
Pulmonary hypertension: Pulmonary hypertension may be a subtype of primary or secondary hypertension depending upon the causes. It refers to high blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries that carry oxygen-deficient blood from the heart to the lungs. It is caused due to heart disease or lung disease. There are several types of pulmonary hypertension. These include:
1) Pulmonary arterial hypertension:
This is caused due to birth defects in the heart, heredity, use of certain drugs, and diseases, such as HIV, liver cirrhosis, and lupus.
2) Pulmonary hypertension due to left-sided heart disease:
This is caused by disease in the left-sided heart valve or failure of the left lower heart chamber.
3) Pulmonary hypertension due to lung disease:
This occurs due to sleep apnea, scarring of lung tissue, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
4) Pulmonary hypertension due to a blood clot in the lung:
This occurs due to clotting disorders or blood clots in the lungs.
5) Pulmonary hypertension due to other disorders:
This occurs due to inflammatory and metabolic disorders, kidney disease, tumours, and blood disorders.
6) Resistant hypertension:
When your blood pressure is difficult to control, even with three types of high blood pressure medications and a diuretic, it is called resistant hypertension. According to the Journal of the Association of Physicians of India (JAPI), this type of hypertension affects one in five people with high blood pressure in India. It is a subtype of secondary hypertension with the cause yet to be identified. Once the underlying cause is evident, the condition may be reversed with multiple drugs.
7) Malignant hypertension:
When high BP happens to cause adverse effects on your organs, it indicates malignant hypertension. In this condition, your blood pressure ranges between or more than 180/120-130 mm Hg with multiple organ damage. It is one of the rarest types of hypertension. However, it could be a health emergency requiring immediate medical attention.
8) Isolated systolic hypertension:
As per the Journal of Clinical Hypertension, isolated systolic hypertension or ISH is a subtype of primary hypertension that mainly affects young adults and the elderly. This type of hypertension occurs when your systolic blood pressure spikes above 140 mm Hg while your diastolic reading is below 90 mm Hg. Hardening of arteries with increasing age is one of the possible causes of ISH. Your doctor may prescribe different types of high blood pressure medications, such as diuretics, beta-blockers, and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors to treat ISH.
The bottom line
High blood pressure is infamous as a silent killer because its symptoms often go unnoticed. However, if diagnosed on time, all types of hypertension can be managed successfully with medications and lifestyle changes. So, see your doctor and get your BP checked once a month or as advised.
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FAQs related Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
1. What is a normal blood pressure level?
The American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC) have categorised blood pressure stages as mentioned below:
Normal BP: A blood pressure of 120/80 mm Hg.
Elevated BP: A systolic pressure between 120 and 129 mm Hg, and a diastolic reading below 80 mm Hg.
Stage-1 hypertension: A systolic reading between 130 and 139 mm Hg, and a diastolic reading between 80 and 89 mm Hg.
Stage-2 hypertension: A systolic reading o around 140 mm Hg, and a diastolic reading of 90 mm Hg or more.
2. What are the symptoms of hypertension?
The common symptoms of hypertension include:
- Headaches in the morning
- Nose bleeds
- Irregular heartbeats
- Changes in vision
- Buzzing in the ears
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Confusion
- Anxiety
- Chest pain
- Muscle tremors
3. How can you prevent hypertension?
Here are some preventive measures for hypertension:
- Consume less salt (less than 5 g daily)
- Eat more vegetables and fruits
- Have a regular physical activity schedule
- Avoid tobacco use
- Lower alcohol intake
- Consume fewer foods high in saturated fat
- Decrease or eliminate trans fats from the diet
Hypertension causes – What leads to sudden high blood pressure
