How to diagnose hypertension in people to improve health outcomes

Hypertension is persistently raised arterial blood pressure. It has a high prevalence worldwide and is a major risk factor for ischaemic heart disease, stroke and renal disease, making it one of the leading preventable causes of premature death. This article, the first in a two-part series reviewing hypertension, details how to diagnose it, drawing on the latest evidence and guidelines.

This article has been double-blind peer reviewed

In this article…

• An explanation of what hypertension is

• How to diagnose hypertension

• The role of out-of-office blood pressure monitoring

Key points

Hypertension is continually raised arterial blood pressure

Unmanaged hypertension increases the risk of stroke, kidney disease and cardiovascular disease

A third of people with high clinic blood pressure have a different blood pressure at home

Home or ambulatory blood pressure monitoring are often used to confirm a hypertension diagnosis

People need support to accurately monitor blood pressure at home