hypertension

Abnormally high blood pressure due to a variety of causes, leading to excessive contraction of the smooth muscle cells of the walls of the arteries. It increases the risk of kidney disease, stroke, and heart attack.

Hypertension is one of the major public health problems of the developed world, affecting 15–20% of adults in industrialized countries (1996). It may be of unknown cause (essential hypertension), or it may occur in association with some other condition, such as kidney disease (secondary or symptomatic hypertension). It is controlled with a low-salt diet and drugs.