The definition also includes patients with normal or elevated blood pressure in the setting of four or more antihypertensive agents.
Central obesity and older age are consistent risk factors for resistant hypertension and as the population ages and gains weight it can be expected that its prevalence will rise further.
Other important risk factors include, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, consumption of a high-salt diet, African-American race, and female gender.
Poor adherence, failure to modify lifestyle, inadequate treatment, white coat hypertension and secondary hypertension are all common aetiologies.
Patients with resistant hypertension require careful assessment and vigorous treatment, given their greater degree of target organ damage and adverse long-term cardiovascular risk.
Resistant hypertension definition
