Hypertension is a disease of diverse causes. And which is manifested by sustained increases in blood pressure in systole and in diastole, or both.
The increase in blood pressure (hypertension) is a major cause, but most likely treatment of disease, and is divided into primary and secondary. In the general population, blood pressure is a continuous variable and its increase is associated with an increased risk of disease. Hypertension can be defined arbitrarily as a sustained diastolic pressure above 90 mmHg. However, there is no risk of developing diseases in which blood pressure is a pathogenic factor.
Primary hypertension (essential) is the elevation of blood pressure with age, but without apparent cause. It represents over 90% of cases and usually appear after age 40 The phenotype of high blood pressure in hypertension due to an interaction between genetic predisposition, obesity, alcohol consumption, physical activity and other factors not yet identified .
Secondary hypertension, which represents about 10% of cases, is due to an identifiable cause, the most common renovascular disease, which raises blood pressure by activating the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Depending on their clinical evolution, both the primary and secondary hypertension can be classified into two types. In benign hypertension there is a steady rise in blood pressure for many years, while in hypertension accelerated the elevation of blood pressure is intense and worsens in a short period of time.