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doi: 10.1007/s11906-009-0053-2pmid: 19737446
Although systemic hypertension is a common clinical condition, hypertensive emergencies are unusual in clinical practice. There are some situations, however, that qualify as hypertensive emergencies or urgencies. It is important, therefore, to diagnose these acute conditions, in which immediate treatment of hypertension is indicated. The diagnosis of hypertensive emergencies depends on consideration of the clinical manifestations as well as the absolute level of blood pressure. Manifestations of hypertensive emergencies can be quite profound, but they vary depending on the target organ that is affected. Thus, an accurate clinical diagnosis is necessary to render appropriate therapy. Fortunately, effective drug therapy is available to lower the blood pressure quickly in hypertensive emergencies. Physicians should be familiar with the pharmacologic and clinical actions of drugs in treating hypertensive emergencies. With proper clinical diagnosis, hypertensive emergencies can be successfully treated, and complications can be largely prevented with timely intervention.
Meyers, Kevin; Falkner, Bonita
doi: 10.1007/s11906-009-0054-1pmid: 19737447
Although primary (essential) hypertension is detectable in childhood, secondary causes of hypertension must be considered in evaluating and managing hypertension in children and adolescents. Very young children and children with severe hypertension may have an underlying cause of the hypertension. Interventions to control elevated blood pressure (BP) are clinically important for all children with high BP. Nonpharmacologic approaches are recommended for all asymptomatic children with hypertension and prehypertension. Some children and adolescents will require pharmacologic therapy to control BP and to optimize organ protection. Recent advancements in pediatric clinical trials of antihypertensive agents have provided data on BP-lowering effects and safety in children. Little has been published on the choice and use of various classes of antihypertensive drugs for management of secondary hypertension in children and adolescents. This review focuses on the clinical management of specific types of secondary hypertension in pediatric patients.
Wofford, Marion; Minor, Deborah
doi: 10.1007/s11906-009-0055-0pmid: 19737448
Hypertension remains uncontrolled in more than 50% of treated patients. Barriers to hypertension control include those that are patient-related, physician-related, and related to the health system. Identification of uncontrolled hypertension, pseudoresistant hypertension, and resistant hypertension require thoughtful attention to accurate blood pressure measurement, lifestyle factors, evaluation for secondary causes of hypertension, and proper treatment. Recent guidelines emphasize the importance of aggressive treatment and referral to hypertension specialists for patients with resistant hypertension, defined as blood pressure that remains above goal despite the use of three appropriate anti hypertensive agents.
Chanda, Ranjan; Fenves, Andrew
doi: 10.1007/s11906-009-0056-zpmid: 19737449
Hypertension is very common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD); it causes early loss of kidney function and accelerated cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. African American patients with hypertension and genetic disposition are at an even higher risk for renal disease and ultimately renal failure. Hypertensive patients with CKD should aim for stringent blood pressure (BP) control (target < 130/80 mm Hg) requiring more than one drug with renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockade as a component of therapy targeting both hyper tension and proteinuria. Management of hypertension in the dialysis population should focus on ambulatory measurements of BP and the use of longer-acting antihypertensive drugs, with their dosage and timing adjusted according to their dialytic clearances. Hypertension is also common among kidney transplant recipients and contributes to graft loss and premature death. The target BP in transplant recipients is the same as in the CKD population, with no preference for one drug group over another. Unless contraindicated, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors remain the drugs of choice for hypertension in patients with autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease, in whom diastolic cardiac dysfunction is a prominent feature.
doi: 10.1007/s11906-009-0057-ypmid: 19737450
Hypertension (especially systolic hypertension) is very common in older persons. Systolic hypertension occurs because large conduit arteries become stiffer with age. Strong evidence from randomized trials suggests that treating systolic blood pressures initially higher than 160 mm Hg is extremely beneficial, and a recent trial extended this conclusion to healthy persons over 80 years of age. However, the only trial that has directly tested the use of more aggressive treatment goals (< 140 mm Hg) in the elderly did not show benefit in those older than 75. Risks of overtreating hypertension for the elderly include falls and orthostatic hypotension, and the most compromised older persons may be the most likely to experience adverse effects. Our current state of knowledge requires clinical judgment that balances the immediacy of adverse effects versus the potential but unproven benefits of treatment in deciding whether to treat the elderly more aggressively than the goals used in randomized trials.
doi: 10.1007/s11906-009-0058-xpmid: 19737451
Proteinuria is both a marker and a mediator of progressive renal damage; higher levels are associated with greater cardiovascular and renal risk. At normal and low levels of proteinuria (in the microalbuminuria range), the rate of hard renal events (dialysis and doubling of creatinine) is much lower than the mortality rate. At higher levels of proteinuria, the renal event rate surpasses the mortality rate. In the overt nephropathy range (proteinuria > 0.5 g/L), patients who achieve lower proteinuria with therapy have improved hard renal outcomes, but this result has not been demonstrated in the microalbuminuria range. For patients with more severe overt nephropathy, there is a basic rationale for additional blockade of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS). Dual blockade of this system and supramaximal dosing with an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) have been demonstrated to reduce proteinuria in these patients more than therapy using the maximum recommended doses of these agents. However, evidence that dual blockade provides additional benefits for hard renal and cardiovascular outcomes is lacking, and only one study shows a benefit for supramaximal dosing. Both treatment strategies increase the risk for complications such as hyperkalemia. Therapy for patients with nephropathy should include treatment with the maximum recommended doses of an ACE inhibitor or ARB in addition to lowering blood pressure to target. For patients with overt nephropathy, more research is required on the role of dual therapy or supramaximal dosing to reduce hard renal and cardiovascular outcomes. Practitioners using either of these strategies to manage proteinuria should monitor their patients carefully.
Alicic, Radica; Saha, Sandeep; Short, Robert; Tuttle, Katherine
doi: 10.1007/s11906-009-0059-9pmid: 19737452
Albuminuria has been recognized as a risk marker for both chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease in large observational cohorts. In addition, post hoc analyses of many large randomized trials have found a positive relationship between albu minuria and adverse renal and cardiovascular outcomes, leading some to suggest that albuminuria may be a potential therapeutic target for antihypertensive treatment. However, direct clinical evidence linking albuminuria reduction to reduction in adverse renal and cardiovascular events is scarce. This paper reviews the evidence in the current literature to address whether albuminuria can be used as a credible predictor of risk for chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease and also reviews the clinical trial evidence to appraise the prospect of using albuminuria as a therapeutic target to prevent adverse renal and cardiovascular events.
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