 The detection and treatment of Arterial Hypertension is a function of the Primary Care doctor, as well as the detection of any of the different organic lesions caused by arterial hypertension.
The organs whose structure and function may be altered as a consequence of untreated or uncontrolled arterial hypertension are called target organs: principally, the central nervous system, peripheral arteries, heart and kidneys.
 CLASSIFICATION OF ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION
The JNC 7 classification establishes new values for the classification of hypertension:
 Normal: systolic arterial pressure < 120 (mmHg); diastolic arterial pressure < 80 (mmHg)
Pre-Hypertension: systolic arterial pressure = 120-139; diastolic arterial pressure = 80-89
Hypertension stage 1: systolic arterial pressure = 140-159; diastolic arterial pressure = 90-99
Hypertension stage 2: systolic arterial pressure > 160; diastolic arterial pressure > 100
These changes (with regard to the JNC 6 Sixth Report) which reflect a progressive reduction in values, have been produced as a result of the observation of an increase in the morbimortality of patients with blood pressure values previously considered to be normal.
There are other criteria for the classification of arterial hypertension, apart from simple consideration of the pressure figures:
- Hypertension, depending on its evolution, may be acute or chronic. In chronic stages, the elevation may be intermittent or transitory (“reactive” or “white coat” hypertension, feocromocytoma, hypertensive pregnancy disorder) or sustained and continuous (for example, but not exclusively, the essential forms of the illness).
- It may be due to physiological adaptation (exercise, pain, stress) or the result of a physiopathological condition (endothelial dysfunction, renovascular hypertension, metabolic syndrome, toxicity).
Is exclusively systolic
(hypertension of the young hyperadrenergic adult, isolated systolic hypertension of the elderly adult, hyperthyroidism, states of high cardiac activity) or systolic-diastolic. The existence of isolated diastolic forms of HTA is spoken of, but it does not appear to be a common condition, at least in a sustained fashion. Another criterion is based on the presence of an identifiable cause, genetic or acquired, which explains the hypertensive state. Therefore, we speak of primary HTN (essential, idiopathic) or secondary.
* - (The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure) 1 has defined pre-hypertension as blood pressure of between 120/80 mmHg and 139/89 mmHg. Pre-hypertension is not an illness, but a category that enables the identification of those at high risk of developing hypertension. This figure may vary according to the sex and age of the patient.
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