This chapter will review the pharmacotherapy for treatment of high blood pressure according to the 2017 High Blood Pressure Clinical Practice Guideline.
Definitions
Hypertensive urgency
Severe elevations in blood pressure (>180/120 mm Hg) without target organ damage.
Hypertensive emergency
Severe elevations in blood pressure (>180/120 mm Hg) with target organ dysfunction (e.g., chest pain, vision changes, acute kidney injury, aortic dissection, acute shortness of breath, heart failure exacerbation, obtundation).