Can Essential Hypertension Be Subclassified With Respect to Mechanism?

Weinberger, Myron H.

Hypertension Research Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Ind.

Address for correspondence: Myron H. Weinberger, MD, Professor of Medicine, Director, Hypertension Research Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, 541 Clinical Drive, Room 409, Indianapolis, IN 46202-5111.

Hypertension 18(3):p I82-I86, September 1991.

Hypertension may result from a variety of abnormalities. The rise in blood pressure may trigger other secondary events that further influence cardiovascular homeostasis. The ability to measure some markers associated with hypertension or the responsiveness of blood pressure to nutritional interventions or to specific therapeutic agents may also have pathogenetic implications. The ultimate goal of further knowledge in this area should be to understand the fundamental abnormalities responsible for hypertension. Such insight would permit more effective treatment and, perhaps, primary prevention of this ubiquitous and multifaceted disorder.