Hypertension is a type of independent disease characterized by elevated arterial blood pressure above the normal range, with an unclear etiology. The main cause of the disease is related to disturbances in advanced neural activity. With the improvement in living standards, the incidence of hypertension is becoming younger.
In reality, many people often confuse hypertension with hypertensive disease, thinking that as long as hypertension is detected, it is considered hypertensive disease, or simply referred to as hypertension. In fact, they are two different concepts.
Hypertension is just a symptom and cannot be considered as an independent disease. Many diseases such as acute and chronic nephritis, hyperthyroidism, pheochromocytoma, Cushing's syndrome, primary hyperaldosteronism, etc., may manifest as elevated blood pressure. However, since this hypertension is secondary to the aforementioned diseases, it is usually referred to as secondary hypertension or symptomatic hypertension.
Hypertensive disease is an independent disease, also known as primary hypertension, accounting for more than 90% of hypertensive patients. The exact cause of the disease is still not fully understood. Clinically, it is characterized by elevated arterial blood pressure. However, as the condition worsens, it often affects organs such as the heart, brain, and kidneys, leading to functional or organic changes, such as hypertensive heart disease, heart failure, renal insufficiency, cerebral hemorrhage, and other complications.
Due to the different etiology and pathology, the treatment principles are also different. For primary hypertension, actively treating hypertension is the only way to effectively prevent complications. On the other hand, for secondary hypertension, the primary disease must be treated first in order to effectively control the development of hypertension. Simply using antihypertensive drugs to control blood pressure is unlikely to be effective. Therefore, in clinical practice, when encountering hypertensive patients, other diseases that may cause hypertension must be ruled out before diagnosing hypertension.
