Stages of hypertension, its degree and risks

blood pressure measurement for hypertension

High blood pressure is one of the most common diseases of the heart and blood vessels, affecting approximately 25% of the adult population. No wonder it is sometimes referred to as a non-infectious epidemic. Hypertension with its complications significantly affects the mortality of the population. Estimates show that up to 25% of deaths in people over the age of 40 are caused directly or indirectly by hypertension. The likelihood of complications predetermines the stages of hypertension. How many stages does hypertension have, how are they classified? Look down.

Important! According to the latest 1993 World Health Organization estimates, hypertension in adults is considered a sustained increase in blood pressure up to 140/90 mm Hg. Art.

Classification of arterial hypertension, determination of the degree of risk of the disease

According to the WHO, according to the etiology, hypertension is classified into primary and secondary.

In primary (essential) hypertension (EH), the main organic cause of the increase in blood pressure (BP) is unknown. A combination of genetic factors, external influences and violations of internal regulatory mechanisms are taken into account.

External factors:

  • Environment;
  • excessive consumption of calories, development of obesity;
  • increased salt intake;
  • lack of potassium, calcium, magnesium;
  • excessive alcohol consumption;
  • repetitive stressful situations.

Primary hypertension is the most common hypertension, accounting for approximately 95% of cases.

There are 3 stages of hypertension:

  • Stage I - hypertension without changes in the organs;
  • Stage II: increased blood pressure with changes in the organs, but without interrupting their function (left ventricular hypertrophy, proteinuria, angiopathy);
  • Stage III - changes in the organs, accompanied by a violation of their function (left heart failure, hypertensive encephalopathy, stroke, hypertensive retinopathy, renal failure).

Secondary (symptomatic) hypertension is an increase in blood pressure as a symptom of an underlying disease with an identifiable cause. The classification of arterial hypertension of the secondary form is as follows:

  • renoparenchymal hypertension - occurs due to kidney disease; causes: diseases of the renal parenchyma (glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis), tumors, kidney damage;
  • renovascular hypertension - narrowing of the renal arteries from fibromuscular dysplasia or atherosclerosis, renal venous thrombosis;
  • endocrine hypertension - primary hyperaldosteronism (Conn's syndrome), hyperthyroidism, pheochromocytoma, Cushing's syndrome;
  • hypertension caused by drugs;
  • gestational hypertension - hypertension during pregnancy, after childbirth, the condition often returns to normal;
  • coarctation of the aorta.

Gestational hypertension can lead to congenital diseases of the baby, in particular retinopathy. There are 2 stages of retinopathy (premature and full term infants):

  • active - consists of 5 stages of development, can lead to loss of vision;
  • cicatricial: leads to the opacity of the cornea.

Important! Both stages of retinopathy in premature and full term babies lead to anatomical disorders!

Hypertensive disease according to the international system (according to ICD-10):

  • primary form - I10;
  • secondary form - I15.

The degrees of hypertension also predetermine the degree of dehydration - dehydration. In this case, the classifier is the lack of water in the body.

There are 3 degrees of dehydration:

  • grade 1 - mild - lack of 3, 5%; symptoms - dry mouth, intense thirst;
  • grade 2 - medium - deficiency - 3-6%; symptoms: sharp fluctuations in blood pressure or decreased pressure, tachycardia, oliguria;
  • grade 3 - the third grade is the most severe, characterized by a lack of 7-14% of water; manifested by hallucinations, delusions; clinic - coma, hypovolemic shock.

Depending on the degree and stage of dehydration, decompensation is carried out by introducing solutions:

  • 5% glucose + isotonic NaCl (mild);
  • 5% NaCl (medium);
  • 4. 2% NaHCO3(severe degree).

GB stages

Subjective symptoms, especially in the mild and moderate stages of hypertension, are often absent, so an increase in blood pressure is often found already at the level of dangerous indicators. The clinical picture is divided into 3 phases. Each stage of arterial hypertension has a typical symptomatology, from which the classification of the WBC is based.

me on stage

At the 1st stage of hypertension, the patient complains of headache, fatigue, palpitations, disorientation and sleep disturbances. At stage 1 AH, objective results on heart, ECG, ocular background, laboratory tests are present in the normal range.

II stage

At stage 2 AH, subjective disorders are similar, at the same time there are signs of left ventricular hypertrophy, there are signs of hypertensive angiopathy on the retina and microalbuminuria or proteinuria in the urine. Sometimes there is a multiplication of red blood cells in the urine sediment. In stage 2 hypertension, there are no symptoms of renal failure.

III stage

In stage III hypertension, functional disorders in organs at increased risk of hypertension are diagnosed:

  • damage to the heart - first manifested by shortness of breath, then - symptoms of cardiac asthma or pulmonary edema;
  • vascular complications - damage to peripheral and coronary arteries, risk of cerebral atherosclerosis;
  • changes in the fundus - have the character of hypertensive retinopathy, neuroretinopathy;
  • changes in blood vessels in the brain - manifested by transient ischemic attacks, typical thrombotic or hemorrhagic vascular strokes;
  • at stage III, stroke, brain injury is diagnosed in almost all patients;
  • benign nephrosclerosis of the renal vessels - leads to a restriction of glomerular filtration, an increase in proteinuria, erythrocytosis, hyperuricemia and, subsequently, chronic renal failure.

Which stage or degree of hypertension is the most dangerous? Despite the various symptoms, all stages and degrees of arterial hypertension are dangerous, requiring adequate systemic or symptomatic treatment.

Degrees

According to the indicators of blood pressure (blood pressure), determined at the time of diagnosis, there are 3 degrees of hypertension:

  • light;
  • average;
  • heavy.

There is also a fourth concept - the definition of resistant (persistent) hypertension, in which even with the correct choice of a combination of antihypertensive drugs, blood pressure does not drop below 140/90 mm Hg. Art.

A clearer overview of the degrees of arterial hypertension is presented in the table.

Hypertension classification and normal blood pressure stratification according to the ESH / ESC 2007 Guidelines.

Category Systolic pressure, mm HgArte. Diastolic blood pressure, mm HgArte.
Optimal < 120 < 80
Normal 120–129 80–84
Normal increased 130–139 85–89
1 degree 140–159 90–99
2 degrees 160–179 100-109
3 degrees over 180 over 110
Isolated systolic hypertension over 140 less than 90

The patient's difficulties vary according to the division of hypertension into degrees. The choice of the treatment regimen for the disease depends on the determination of the degree.

I graduate

Detection of the disease is only possible with regular blood pressure measurement. Measurements should be made in a relaxed atmosphere, at least 3 times in a given period.

This is the only way to assess the presence or absence of hypertension. Depending on the degree of increase in blood pressure, the clinical picture of the disease is different.

II degree

For the 2nd degree of hypertension, periods of increased pressure are characteristic, alternating with a decrease in indicators or an increase in the diastolic value alone. With this degree of hypertension, there are typical cases of increased pressure under certain circumstances, especially in patients with an unstable nervous system.

III degree

III degree of hypertension is characterized by a critical increase in blood pressure.

Grade III GB is characterized by severe complications resulting from the damaging effects of hypertension on all organs and systems. First of all, the heart, kidneys, eyes, brain are affected. With grade III hypertension, symptoms and treatment are closely related: with insufficient or improper treatment, the disease can lead to serious consequences: stroke, encephalopathy, renal failure, irreversible damage to the eyes, blood vessels. Lack of treatment for grade III hypertension increases the risk of developing isolated systolic hypertension.

At this stage of arterial hypertension, the degree of risk increases significantly! There are violations of memory, mental activity, frequent loss of consciousness.

A hypertensive crisis occurs as a complication of stage III and is considered stage IV. GB.

Risks

According to the classification of hypertension by stages and degrees, patients are divided into risk groups, depending on the severity of hypertension. There are 4 categories (i. e. there are as many as there are degrees of hypertension), determined by the principle of the probability of future damage to internal organs.

Risks based on the degree of disease:

  • risk less than 15%;
  • risk up to 20%;
  • risk 20-30%;
  • the risk is greater than 30%.

Low, insignificant

The low-risk group includes men under 55 and women under 65 with stage I. High blood pressure. In this group, the risk of cardiovascular disease in the period up to 10 years is less than 15%. For people in the low-risk group, lifestyle changes are recommended. If non-drug therapy does not show efficacy within 6-12 months, it is advisable to prescribe drugs.

Average

The medium risk group includes people with I-II Art. Hypertension in the presence of 1-2 risk factors. The risk increases with high body weight, smoking, high cholesterol, impaired glucose tolerance, lack of movement. Hereditary factors are also important. The risk of cardiovascular complications in these people is higher and is 15-20% within 10 years. People belonging to this group are encouraged to maintain a healthy lifestyle. If pressure reduction does not occur within 6 months, pharmacotherapy is prescribed.

High

The high-risk group includes people I-II Art. hypertension, subject to the presence of at least 3 risk factors, which include:

  • diabetes;
  • target organ damage;
  • atherosclerotic vascular diseases;
  • left ventricular hypertrophy;
  • increased creatinine;
  • ocular changes.

This group also includes stage III hypertensive patients who do not have risk factors (the risk of cardiovascular disease is 20-30% over 10 years). Representatives of this group are under the supervision of a cardiologist.

Very high

The group of hypertensive patients with a very high risk of cardiovascular disease (more than 30% within 10 years) includes people with stage III. hypertension in the presence of at least 1 risk factor. Furthermore, this group includes patients with stage AH I-II. in the presence of cerebrovascular accident, ischemia, nephropathy. This group is supervised by cardiologists and requires active therapy.

Conclusion

The problem with arterial hypertension is that the disease has no typical symptoms and is characterized by a diverse clinical picture. Therefore, often a person is not aware of the presence of the disease. Therefore, high blood pressure is detected by chance, during the examination or when complications occur. When diagnosing hypertension, it is important to correctly inform the patient that it can significantly influence the course of his disease by following a healthy lifestyle.