Cardiovascular Drugs Based on stage/onset:

1. Normal - <120/80
2. Prehypertensive – 120-135/80-89
3. Stage I – 140-159/90-99
4. Stage II - >160/100

Special Cases of Hypertension

1. Hypertension in Pregnancy
Basics of the Cardiac Cycle:
a. Gestational – 140/90 after 20 weeks
 Systole – period of time when the heart
age of gestation
muscle is contracting
b. Preeclampsia – characterized by
 Preload – at the end of atrial systole, the
proteinuria and severe signs and
ventricles will expand to accommodate the
symptoms
incoming volume of blood from the atrium
c. Eclampsia – characterized by
 Afterload – the amount of resistance the generalized tonic-clonic seizures
heart must overcome to open the aortic 2. Severe Hypertension
valve and push the blood volume out into a. Hypertensive emergency
the systemic circulation. Characteristics:
 Diastole – period of time when the heart i. 180/120 BP
muscle is relaxed and the chambers fill with ii. Presence of end organ
blood damage
b. Hypertensive urgency
Determinants of Blood Pressure Characteristics:
1. Cardiac Output (ml/minute) i. 160/100 BP
Factors that affect: ii. No end organ damage
a. Heart rate (bpm) – directly
proportional
b. Stroke Volume (ml/beat)
Factors that affect:
i. Inotropy – directly
proportional
ii. Preload – directly
proportional
Factors that affect preload:
1. Blood volume
2. Venous tone
2. Total peripheral resistance
Factors that affect:
a. Arterial tone

Hypertension
The condition described as repeated, reproducible
elevation of blood pressure.

Classifications
Based on Etiology:
1. Primary – no discernable cause
2. Secondary – with specific etiology