Drug Class
General class of medications used to lower BP.
Antihypertensive
Volume of blood ejected from the left heart per unit of time.
Cardiac Output (CO)
Excessive / Increased
Hyper-
Elevation of arterial blood pressure likely to cause cardiovascular damage.
Hypertension
Instrument used to measure the force of blood against artery walls.
Sphygmomanometer
Increases urine secretion to rid body of excess sodium/water.
Diuretic
Change in vascular tone/lumen size; a hallmark of primary hypertension.
Vascular Remodeling
Fast / Rapid
Tachy-
Severe elevation, generally >180/120 mm Hg.
Hypertensive Crisis
Elevated office BP (>140/90) but normal ambulatory readings (<135/85).
White Coat Hypertension
Blocks enzyme that causes blood vessels to contract.
ACE Inhibitor
Hardening of kidney tissues due to chronic high pressure.
Nephrosclerosis
Slow
Brady-
Severe BP elevation without evidence of acute target organ damage.
Hypertensive Urgency
Highest pressure when ventricles contract.
Systolic BP
Inhibits angiotensin II on receptors to prevent vasoconstriction.
ARB
Thickening of the heart’s main pumping chamber (working against high pressure).
Left Ventricular Hypertrophy
Blood or lymph vessel
Angi/o
High BP caused by an identifiable problem (e.g., CKD or primary aldosteronism).
Secondary Hypertension
Failure to reach goal BP despite 3+ antihypertensive classes (inc. a diuretic).
Resistant Hypertension
Relaxes heart/vessels by decreasing calcium movement into cells.
Calcium Channel Blocker
Small amounts of albumin in urine; indicates early kidney damage.
Microalbuminuria
Surrounding / Around
Peri-
Noises heard over an artery during auscultation as cuff pressure drops.
Korotkoff Sounds
BP drop upon standing, often causing dizziness.
Orthostatic Hypotension