What is resistant high blood pressure?

What is resistant high blood pressure?

High blood pressure ( Hypertension ) is blood pressure that does not show any response to is called as resistance BP. Particularly, it is defined as blood pressure that remains elevated above treatment goals in spite of taking maximum three drugs that includes also a diuretic (Drugs for urine excretion). As it is difficult to treat few cases, and may require a combination of multiple drugs before control is established, it cannot be called resistant until this three-drug combination has been tried.

Diagnosis of Resistant high blood pressure (Hypertension)

Resistant high blood pressure (Hypertension) is diagnosed when the blood pressure continues to be elevated despite trying combination therapy with three drugs. The standard guidelines state that:

* Proper blood pressure measurement process must be used
* The size of the blood pressure cuff should be double checked for accuracy
* The blood pressure readings must be recorded on two separate occasions
* Blood pressure should be taken in sitting and lying position.

Causes of Resistant high blood pressure (Hypertension)?

There are many factors that can cause resistant high blood pressure (Hypertension), and proper medical testing is required to investigate each of these potential causes. The three most common causes of resistant high blood pressure (Hypertension) are:



* Patient is not showing compliance with treatment, i.e. not taking medicine regularly.
* Secondary high blood pressure (Hypertension) (Usually from overactive adrenal glands or pheochromocytoma)
* Fluid retention (usually expansion from kidney failure)

Secrets of High Blood Pressure Treatment

Secrets of High Blood Pressure Treatment

Medical scientists are fighting this life-threatening disease and they have gained some success. That is the development of several classes of antihypertensive drugs and definition of “normal” levels of blood pressure that should be maintained to reduce the risk of cardiovascular complications and death.

Is it a great success? Unfortunately not. Pharmaceutical treatment can not reverse the disease. The patient with developed arterial hypertension can only hope to reduce the risk of high blood pressure complications. How big is this risk reduction? Relative risk reduction is less than 25% during 2-5 years for all major cardiovascular complications. It is higher for stroke (36-45%) and less for heart attacks (10-15%). When all risks are combined, the relative risk reduction is close to 25%.

Be careful and distinguish absolute and relative risk reductions. Papers and pharmaceutical ads always present relative risk reduction which is more impressive. They even do not mention that it is “relative”. That is because the absolute risk reduction could be as much as 0.2-2.0%. Does not impress you, right? Let’s take a clinical trial where 0.6% and 0.96% of patients had had fatal stroke in the treatment group and placebo group accordingly. Absolute risk reduction will be 0.96% - 0.60% = 0.36%, however relative risk reduction will be as much as (0.96% - 0.6%)/0.96% = 37.5%! Looks much better! Absolute risk reduction 0.36% means that from one thousand patients taking medication during 3-5 years, three or four could be saved from fatal stroke. Clinical trials don’t say what will happen with those saved patients after 5 years. Presumably, the risk is postponed towards after 5 years period. Clinical trials also do not say which particular patients will be saved. It is like lottery, it could happen that 4 saved patients is just a difference between 44 saved and 40 preliminary died due to pharmaceutical side effects. Vioxx, Celebrex, Baycol are the known examples.

How to Deal with High Blood Pressure

How to Deal with High Blood Pressure

Most alternative medicines for high blood pressure offer relief from the problem without these unwanted effects. Most of us will not experience symptoms that suggest we have high blood pressure. Properly known as hypertension, the problem manifests itself quite unnoticed at first. Stress can lead to hypertension, but stress, anxiety and tension are not the same as high blood pressure. A doctor will diagnose hypertension when the patient's systolic blood pressure crosses 240 mmHg. Simultaneously, diastolic blood pressure may go above 120 mmHg. If both these finding occur at the same time, there is no room for doubt.

When the patient experiences symptoms like recurring headaches, he or she may have malignant hypertension. This can lead to a number of problems, including kidney failure. Generally, high blood pressure is a serious problem to patients suffering from diabetes. This is because diabetes tends to weaken the walls of the heart and arteries. In such a case, high blood pressure can prove to be a fatal complication.

High blood pressure is not an illness in itself, but it can lead to some organ damage. People with high blood pressure are very prone to strokes, heart attacks, problems with the eye's retinas and kidney disease. Pregnant women can certainly not afford to ignore hypertension because it often leads to many complications.

Patients with high blood pressure must modify their lifestyles. Those who are overweight need to start exercising regularly. They must also eliminate excess salt from their diets and include plenty of fruit, nuts and green vegetables. If they live stressful lives, they need to eliminate the stress-inducing factors. Doing this can sometimes include moving out of an overly noisy neighbourhood and switching to a less demanding job. Additionally, the patient will probably have to take certain antihypertensive medication.

It is possible to live a full and functional life with high blood pressure without using pharmacological medicines. For instance, many patients have found considerable relief by using hawthorn. Studies have shown that a majority of patients with type 2 diabetes using hawthorn for around 16 weeks displayed a reduction in their mean diastolic blood pressure.

Blood Pressure Symptoms

Blood Pressure Symptoms

In a similar manner to which water is pushed through a garden hosepipe, pressure is required to pump blood around your body. The narrower your veins are the higher the pressure is required to enable the blood to pump around your body. When a doctor or medical physician takes your blood pressure it is ordinarily provided as two readings. The first reading or number is named systolic pressure reading and is quantified as the maximum pressure within your system. The bottom number is called the diastolic pressure reading which measures the lowest pressure in the system.

Whilst many of us think that individuals who suffer with high blood pressure carry with them obvious symptoms the truth is they do not show any symptoms at all. The condition can lead to headaches and in some cases nosebleeds however this is rare and ordinarily no symptoms are noted. The method to ascertain whether or not you're suffering with high blood pressure is to have it checked out by your doctor or medical physician.

A natural reaction if we are in pain or frightened by something is for the pressure of our blood to rise. However, if it remains at a consistently high level it places strain upon your heart. The majority of doctors and medical practitioners will require you to return on several occasions to be tested before making a diagnosis of high blood pressure. Should your readings be consistently higher than 140/90 you will be classed as hypersensitive and various measures will be required to reduce the levels. Should your pressure readings be only slightly elevated your medical practitioner will probably advise you to adjust your lifestyle through losing any excess weight and giving up smoking as well as at the same time ensuring that you do not add salt to your foods and to undertake regular exercise.