Translations:Hypertension/1/en

This page is about arterial hypertension. For other forms of hypertension, see Hypertension/1/en (disambiguation).

Hypertension
Other names	Arterial hypertension, high blood pressure
Automated arm blood pressure meter showing arterial hypertension (shown by a systolic blood pressure 158 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure 99 mmHg and heart rate of 80 beats per minute)
Specialty	Cardiology
Symptoms	None
Complications	Coronary artery disease, stroke, heart failure, peripheral arterial disease, vision loss, chronic kidney disease, dementia
Causes	Usually lifestyle and genetic factors
Risk factors	Lack of sleep, excess salt, excess body weight, smoking, alcohol, air pollution
Diagnostic method	Resting blood pressure  130/80 or 140/90 mmHg
Treatment	Lifestyle changes, medications
Frequency	16–37% globally
Deaths	9.4 million / 18% (2010)

Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a long-term medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated. High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms. It is, however, a major risk factor for stroke, coronary artery disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, peripheral arterial disease, vision loss, chronic kidney disease, and dementia. Hypertension is a major cause of premature death worldwide.