Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, refers to the condition whereby the blood vessels experience persistently higher pressures than the normal blood pressure during the systolic and diastolic cycles. Primarily, there are two types of hypertension, primary and secondary hypertension. However, there are other classifications, such as malignant, resistant, and isolated hypertension. This essay discusses the different types of hypertension and their associated risk factors.
Primary hypertension is also referred to as essential hypertension, and such a diagnosis is made when there is no identifiable secondary cause of the persistently high blood pressure (Alexander et al., 2019) . The main risk factors associated with this type of hypertension include genetics, diet, and lifestyle issues (Hecht, 2019) . Persons born in families with a history of hypertension may be at a higher risk of developing the condition as a result of genetic inheritance. The intake of particular diets such as foods high in sodium, e.g., food seasoned with a lot of salt. Lifestyle issues that may predispose one to essential hypertension include excessive alcohol intake, smoking, absence of physical exercises, and the associated increase in body weight, including being overweight and obese and stress.
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Secondary hypertension is the other primary type of hypertension. Such a diagnosis is made when there is an identifiable secondary cause of the raised blood pressure (Alexander et al., 2019) . In other words, an underlying medical condition is usually the cause of this hypertension. Some of the most common causes for this type of hypertension include constriction of the renal arteries, adrenal gland disease or tumors, hormonal and thyroid abnormalities (Hecht, 2019) . Other causes may include the side effects of some drugs such as birth control pills, antidepressants, and some over-the-counter medicines, e.g., ibuprofen. Some of the risk factors for this hypertension include huge salt and alcohol intake.
Resistant hypertension is the other type of hypertension whereby the blood pressure remains higher than 140/90 mm Hg despite the use of three different antihypertensive drugs whereby one of the medications is a diuretic (Alexander et al., 2019) . Resistant hypertension is associated with an existent secondary cause, which is yet to be identified. The risk factors for resistant hypertension include aging, diabetes, and kidney diseases. Malignant hypertension is the other classification of hypertension, whereby the blood pressure becomes sharply elevated to greater than 180/120 mm Hg (Alexander et al., 2019) . Malignant hypertension is also referred to as hypertensive emergencies or urgencies. It may cause damage to multiple body organs (Hecht, 2019) . One of the notable risk factors for this hypertension is pregnancy toxemia in women. The last hypertension classification is referred to as isolated systolic hypertension. It occurs when the systolic blood pressure becomes greater than 140 mm Hg, while the diastolic pressure remains below 90 mm Hg (Alexander et al., 2019) . This hypertension is attributed to the hardening of the arteries as one’s age progresses. Hence, its most notable risk factor is advanced aged.
References
Alexander, M., Madhur, M., & Harrison, D. (2019). Hypertension: Practice Essentials, Background, Pathophysiology . Emedicine.medscape.com. Retrieved 22 July 2020, from https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/241381-overview#a2 .
Hecht, M. (2019). Types of Hypertension . Healthline. Retrieved 22 July 2020, from https://www.healthline.com/health/types-and-stages-of-hypertension#other-types .
