Essential Hypertension

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1. Define the clinical criteria used to make the diagnosis of hypertension.

2. Define controlled hypertension and its benefit upon target organs.

3. Be familiar with the pharmacologic mechanisms through which the classes of drugs which are used to treat hypertension lower blood pressure.

4. List non-pharmacologic treatments useful in the management of hypertension.

5. For each class of antihypertensive medications, be able to identify pateint factors for which the drugs would be indicated and contraindicated and explain why.

6. Identify problems (physicians, patient and family) which frequently hinder the achievement of good control of hypertension.

7. Identify the common adverse reactions or potential complications associated with the use of the following antihypertensive drug classes:

A. Diuretics.
B. Central acting agents.
C. Beta blockers.
D. Peripheral vasodialators.
E. Calcium channel blockers.
F. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors/Augiotensin receptor blocker.

8. Identify clinical presentations which suggest a secondary cause of hypertension.

9. Define systolic hypertension and explain why it is important.

10. Define hypertension urgency and hypertensive emergency. List examples of each and discuss therapuetic option.

Sources:

Family Medicine:  Ambulatory Care and Prevention, Chapter 76, Pages 538-547

Essentials of Family Medicine, Chapter, 11, Pages 165-178

Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNV7) Express  link to website: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/hypertension/

For additional articles check the Reading Resources provided