Five steps in the management of high blood pressure

Abstract

Check up for high blood pressure (HBP) is one of the most common encounters in general practice. The prevalence ofhypertension increases with advancing age to the point where over half of the people 60-69 year of age and about three-fourths of those over 70 years of age are affected. The primary goal of treating patients with HBP is to prevent complications and reduce the long-term total risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This requires treatment of all the reversible risk factors identified (smoking, dyslipidaemia or diabetes) and the appropriate management of associated clinical conditions, besides treatment of the raised BP per se.