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Hypertension

Taynara Pimenta

Chamberlain University College of Nursing

NR283: Pathophysiology

Professor Opokua

February 12, 2022

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Hypertension

Hypertension(HTN) usually is called High Blood pressure. It is an Arterial disorder that can

affect many organs. It is typically called the “silent killer” because many people have it and do

not know and are consequently left untreated The blood that goes against the artery wall can be

very high, which can cause some complications in the heart. A regular reading for Blood pressure

is 120/80 mm Hg, and people with hypertension usually have a reading above 140/90 mm Hg. At

the beginning of the disease, the person may not even have an “alert” symptom and, if left

untreated, can cause severe complications in some of the body’s organs. According to CDC,

“About half of adults (45%) with uncontrolled hypertension have a blood pressure of 140/90

mmHg or higher. This includes 37 million U.S. adults” (“Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention,” 2021). The numbers are very high because it is a disorder that can develop because

of age, poor diet that includes high sodium, stress, alcohol abuse, obesity, and also genetic

factors. Also, men are more at risk of developing hypertension than women, unless whenever

women reach menopause, they increase their risk of becoming hypertension. Otherwise,

everyone is at risk of developing the disorder, even children.

Etiology and Risk Factors

Lifestyle is a big issue in the development of Hypertension. A person who is sedentary or

obese is at a high risk of developing this disorder. Since it is an Arterial disorder, it means that

the blood needs to flow through the blood vessels, and exercises help the circulation. High

sodium intake in food and increasing the LDL cholesterol can help elevate the blood pressure

and progressively increase the risk for becoming Hypertension. An older adult is at risk, but

children can also develop it. Genetic is also a risk, especially for African Americans. Also, men

are at more risk than women, but women increase the risk after menopause.

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Pathophysiological Processes

Hypertension is an arterial disorder related to blood circulation throughout the body.

Blood pressure is the cardiac output and vascular resistance occurring during the blood flow.

There are two measurements, the systolic and diastolic. Systolic is when the heart contracts and

pumps out blood, while diastolic is when the heart relaxes and fills out blood. The disorder is

very silent, and sometimes the person will be asymptomatic. Although, if the disorder advance, it

can cause damage to any organ, and the person can start having symptoms from the complication

of the advance.

Clinical Manifestations and Complications

Since it is a very silent disorder, the person can develop and be asymptomatic until it

becomes advanced and starts to damage other organs. Although, measuring blood pressure is the

best way to know because some people will not have any symptoms. If they have signs and

symptoms, the most common are morning headache, fatigue, malaise. Also, if the person has

laboratory tests that show high LDL cholesterol levels, triglycerides, and overweight, it can be a

sign of the development of the disorder. Hypertension is characterized in three categories. The

First type is the Primary, which is idiopathic; the person developed because of age, weight,

genetic, or was at some kind of risk to develop, but mostly is unknown. The second type is the

Secondary, which the person can develop because of the consequence of another disease, for

example, renal or endocrine disease. The third type is the Malignant, an emergency situation

because a damaged organ occurrence can cause it. The complications of hypertension can be

very wide, since it can affect many organs. Some of the areas that are most affected are eyes,

kidneys, heart, brain. Some of the most common complications are Heart disease and stroke.

“The World Health Organization estimates that 54% of strokes and 47% of cases of ischemic

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heart disease are the direct consequence of high blood pressure, which thus takes its place among

the main risk factors for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality” (Jordan et al., 2018). Therefore,

it can become severe and even death if left untreated.

Diagnostics

Usually, the person will find out about the disorder while measuring the blood pressure. If

it is consistently high, it will indicate possible hypertension. Blood tests showing high Lipid

panal, as LDL cholesterol levels and triglycerides can be a consequence as well. Also, the

person’s weight, family history, lifestyle and if have any other disease that can cause

hypertension. Since the disorder can have no symptoms initially, the doctor will need to make

sure some of those diagnoses relate to high blood pressure. Otherwise, they can do imaging tests

such as MRI, CT scan, or EKG to see if there are any abnormalities.

Interview

My patient is 61 years old, and he is my father. We found out he had this disorder when

he was 56 years old. He used to have headaches and feel fatigued sometimes. I believe we found

out when he was in the early stage. He was doing his regular annual check-up, and his blood

pressure was high, the doctor asked if he had any of the common symptoms, and he said he was

having headaches and feeling fatigued sometimes. Although, he was overweight and with high

LDL cholesterol and triglycerides levels from his laboratory blood tests. Since he was 56 years

old by that time and overweight with high LDL levels, the doctor decided to start him on blood

pressure medications. From what I have learned, he was at increased risk for Hypertension

because of his age, weight, and critical levels of LDL cholesterol, so the doctor diagnosed him

with Hypertension. Since we found out in the early stage, he has been taking his blood pressure

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and cholesterol medication daily, which helped maintain the disorder stable before progressing to

any further complications. I learned that starting the treatment earlier can stabilize and prevent

the progression to any complication or severely affect any organ. Also, in the same year, they

found out he was prediabetic, which the doctor told him could be related to Hypertension and his

weight. Fortunately, since we found out his Hypertension on the early stage, he just has to take

his blood pressure and cholesterol medication daily. He changed his diet and started physical

activity at least three times a week. Also, he has to keep up with his annual check-up to make

sure everything is fine. He has good family support, and he is very cooperative with changing his

diet and trying to exercise as much as possible. He is very optimistic; since last year, his doctor

lowered his blood pressure medication dose because he saw a very satisfying change in his

cholesterol levels and weight. Also, his wife helps him with cooking healthy food and exercising

with him. I learned that treating a disorder in the early stages can help the patient from

progressing to any complications. Also, it is very interesting to see how Hypertension is very

silent and dangerous if not treated.

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References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, September 27). Facts about hypertension.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/facts.htm

Jordan, J., Kurschat, C., & Reuter, H. (2018). Arterial Hypertension. Deutsches Arzteblatt

international, 115(33-34), 557–568. https://doi.org/10.3238/arztebl.2018.0557

VanMeter, K. C., & Hubert, R. J. (2018). Gould's pathophysiology for the Health Professions

(6th ed.). Elsevier.

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