Glossary

Disease characterised among adults by the existence of systolic arterial pressure above or equal to 140 mmHg or by diastolic arterial pressure above or equal to 90 mmHg.

The causes of hypertension are most commonly unknown and it is referred to as essential hypertension. It is one of the main cardiovascular risk factors among adults.

In about 10% of cases hypertension is secondary to a well-identified pathology (e.g. stenosis of the renal artery) and treatment of the cause results in the disappearance of hypertension.