Refractory hypertension was defined as BP that remained uncontrolled after more or 3 visits to a hypertension clinic within a minimum 6-month follow-up period. Refractory hypertension represents the extreme phenotype of hypertension treatment failure and is also defined as the persistence of blood pressure more than 140/90 mmHg while being treated with a rational triple-drug therapy, optimally including a diuretic.
Refractory hypertension falls into two broad categories:
*Apparent resistance
*True resistance
Refractory hypertension is present in approximately 10% in a primary care setting and in more than 30% of patients seen in subspecialty clinics.
Approximately 10% of patients with refractory hypertension will have a secondary cause. Medication use and compliance, non-pharmacologic management strategies and excessive alcohol issue are frequently overlooked causes.
What is refractory hypertension?
