Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a long-term condition in which the force of blood against the walls of the arteries remains consistently elevated. Blood pressure reflects how hard the heart works to circulate blood throughout the body.
Hypertension is diagnosed when blood pressure remains consistently elevated. In most clinical guidelines, hypertension is defined as ≥130/80 mmHg.
Blood pressure is further classified into categories to understand severity:
<120/80 mmHg
120–129 / <80 mmHg
130–139 / 80–89 mmHg
≥140 / ≥90 mmHg
Hypertension is one of the most common chronic conditions worldwide and is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke, and chronic kidney disease.
In a healthy body, blood flows through blood vessels at a normal pressure, allowing oxygen and nutrients to reach all organs efficiently.
Hypertension is broadly classified into two main types based on its cause.
Hypertension is often called a silent condition because:
Many individuals only discover they have high blood pressure during routine medical check-ups.
Hypertension can affect anyone, but risk is higher in people who:
These symptoms typically appear when blood pressure becomes significantly elevated.
High blood pressure increases the workload of the heart and can damage the arteries supplying it. This may lead to:
Hypertension affects blood vessels in the brain and increases the risk of both blockage and rupture. Possible outcomes include:
High blood pressure damages the small blood vessels in the kidneys, affecting their ability to filter waste. This can result in:
Persistent high blood pressure gradually damages blood vessels throughout the body. This may cause:
(These changes are often related to long-term vascular injury such as atherosclerosis.)
