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Hipertensión esencial

Last reviewed: 13 Sep 2025
Last updated: 08 Jan 2025

Summary

Definition

History and exam

Key diagnostic factors

  • presencia de factores de riesgo
  • presión arterial sistólica (PA) ≥130 mmHg o diastólica ≥80 mmHg
  • retinopatía
Full details

Other diagnostic factors

  • cefalea
  • cambios en la visión
  • disnea
  • dolor torácico
  • déficit sensorial o motor
Full details

Risk factors

  • obesidad
  • ejercicio aeróbico <3 veces/semana
  • consumo de alcohol moderado/elevado
  • síndrome metabólico o síndrome cardiovascular-renal-metabólico (CRM)
  • diabetes mellitus
  • raza negra
  • edad >60 años
  • antecedentes familiares de hipertensión o enfermedad coronaria crónica
  • apnea del sueño
  • ingesta de sodio >1.5 g/día
  • bajo consumo de frutas y verduras
  • dislipidemia
  • tabaquismo
Full details

Diagnostic tests

1st tests to order

  • cociente albúmina/creatinina urinario (CACu)
  • electrocardiograma (ECG)
  • perfil metabólico en ayunas con tasa de filtración glomerular estimada (TFG)
  • perfil lipídico
  • análisis de orina
  • hemoglobina
  • hormona estimulante de la tiroides
Full details

Tests to consider

  • actividad de la renina plasmática
  • aldosterona plasmática
  • ultrasonido renal dúplex/angiografía por resonancia magnética de arterias renales/angiografía por tomografía computerizada
  • detección de feocromocitoma a través de una muestra de orina de 24 horas
  • metanefrinas fraccionadas en plasma
  • cortisol libre urinario de 24 horas
  • estudio del sueño
  • ecocardiografía
Full details

Treatment algorithm

ACUTE

sin nefropatía crónica ni comorbilidad relacionada con la enfermedad cardiovascular (ECV): hipertensión en estadio 1 y menor riesgo de ECV y sin diabetes

sin enfermedad renal crónica o comorbilidad relacionada con la enfermedad cardiovascular (ECV): mayor riesgo de ECV o con diabetes

enfermedad coronaria crónica concomitante sin insuficiencia cardíaca congestiva

insuficiencia cardiaca (IC) concomitante

hipertrofia ventricular izquierda concomitante sin enfermedad coronaria crónica

nefropatía crónica concomitante sin enfermedad cardiovascular

fibrilación auricular concomitante sin otra comorbilidad

ONGOING

refractario/resistente a la terapia triple optimizada en cualquier etapa

Contributors

Authors

Jeffrey Brettler, MD, FASH

Internal Medicine

Regional Hypertension Co-lead, Kaiser Permanente Southern California, Los Angeles

Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine, Pasadena

CA

Disclosures

JB declares that he has no competing interests.

Acknowledgements

Dr Jeffrey Brettler would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Joel Handler, Dr Jonathan N. Bella, Dr Moustapha Atoui, Dr Liran Blum, and Dr Michael A. Spinelli, previous contributors to this topic.

Disclosures

JH, JNB, MA, LB, and MAS declare that they have no competing interests.

Peer reviewers

Isla Mackenzie, MBChB, PhD, FRCP

Clinical Senior Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacology and Honorary Consultant Physician

University of Dundee

Dundee

UK

Disclosures

IM is an elected member of the British Hypertension Society Executive Committee.

Syed Wamique Yusuf, MRCPI, FACC

Associate Professor

Department of Cardiology

University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Houston

TX

Disclosures

SWY declares that he has no competing interests.

Melvin Lobo, MBChB, PhD, MRCP

Director Barts Blood Pressure Centre of Excellence

NHS Reader in Cardiovascular Medicine

Department of Clinical Pharmacology

William Harvey Heart Centre

London

UK

Disclosures

ML is a consultant for ROX Medical. ML receives honorarium from Cardiosonic, St. Jude Medical, and institutional grant/research support from Medtronic.

Peer reviewer acknowledgements

BMJ Best Practice topics are updated on a rolling basis in line with developments in evidence and guidance. The peer reviewers listed here have reviewed the content at least once during the history of the topic.

Disclosures

Peer reviewer affiliations and disclosures pertain to the time of the review.

References

Our in-house evidence and editorial teams collaborate with international expert contributors and peer reviewers to ensure that we provide access to the most clinically relevant information possible.

Key articles

McEvoy JW, McCarthy CP, Bruno RM, et al. 2024 ESC guidelines for the management of elevated blood pressure and hypertension. Eur Heart J. 2024 Oct 7;45(38):3912-4018.Full text  Abstract

Whelton PK, Carey RM, Aronow WS, et al. 2017 ACC/AHA/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/AGS/APhA/ASH/ASPC/NMA/PCNA guideline for the prevention, detection, evaluation, and management of high blood pressure in adults: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2018 May 15;71(19):e127-248.Full text  Abstract

Rabi DM, McBrien KA, Sapir-Pichhadze R, et al. Hypertension Canada's 2020 comprehensive guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis, risk assessment, and treatment of hypertension in adults and children. Can J Cardiol. 2020 May;36(5):596-624.Full text  Abstract

Wright JT Jr, Williamson JD, Whelton PK, et al; SPRINT Research Group. A randomized trial of intensive versus standard blood-pressure control. N Engl J Med. 2015 Nov 26;373(22):2103-16.Full text  Abstract

Williams B, MacDonald TM, Morant S, et al; British Hypertension Society's PATHWAY Studies Group. Spironolactone versus placebo, bisoprolol, and doxazosin to determine the optimal treatment for drug-resistant hypertension (PATHWAY-2): a randomised, double-blind, crossover trial. Lancet. 2015 Nov 21;386(10008):2059-68.Full text  Abstract

Reference articles

A full list of sources referenced in this topic is available to users with access to all of BMJ Best Practice.
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