PREHYPERTENSION

Course overview

HIGH OR ELEVATED BLOOD PRESSURE CONTINUES TO BE A PREVALENT CONDITION THAT REPRESENTS A MAJOR GLOBAL HEALTH BURDEN. HYPERTENSION AND PREHYPERTENSION EITHER ALONE OR COMBINED WITH OTHER METABOLIC DISEASES SUCH AS OBESITY AND DIABETES INCREASE THE RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES SUCH AS ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE AND STROKE. PREHYPERTENSION, THE INTERMEDIATE STAGE BETWEEN NORMAL BLOOD PRESSURE AND HYPERTENSION, IS ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLINICAL ATHEROSCLEROSIS AND TARGET-ORGAN DAMAGE. PREHYPERTENSION AND HYPERTENSION POSE SIGNIFICANT CLINICAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH CHALLENGES FOR BOTH ECONOMICALLY DEVELOPING AND DEVELOPED NATIONS. BECAUSE THESE CONDITIONS ARE TYPICALLY ASYMPTOMATIC, THE PREVALENCE OF BOTH PREHYPERTENSION AND HYPERTENSION ARE LIKELY UNDERREPORTED. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE EVALUATION, DIAGNOSIS, AND MANAGEMENT OF PREHYPERTENSION AND HYPERTENSION AND STRESSES THE ROLE OF TEAM-BASED INTERPROFESSIONAL CARE FOR AFFECTED PATIENTS.