It is a very common condition. It is usually asymptomatic until late on, when significant target organ damage has already occurred. It is associated with serious complications, including coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, stroke, and renal failure.
Effective treatment is readily available.
The first step is to correctly establish a diagnosis. An inappropriate diagnosis of hypertension may have serious adverse effects on employment, life and health insurance, and may commit the individual to lifelong treatment unneccessarily. Once the presence of hypertension has been esablished, a workup is neccessary to exclude secondary causes and search for target organ damage. Table 5-8 Features of Inappropriate Hypertension 1. Onset before the age of 20 or after 50. 2.