Key Concepts
Overview
Hypertension (HTN) is defined as sustained systolic blood pressure ≥ 130 mmHg or diastolic ≥ 80 mmHg (ACC/AHA 2017 guidelines). It is the most prevalent chronic cardiovascular disease worldwide — affecting 1 in 3 US adults — and a major modifiable risk factor for stroke, MI, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and aortic dissection. Classification: - Normal: SBP < 120 and DBP < 80 - Elevated: SBP 120–129 and DBP < 80 - Stage 1 HTN: SBP 130–139 OR DBP 80–89 - Stage 2 HTN: SBP ≥ 140 OR DBP ≥ 90 - Hypertensive urgency: SBP > 180 and/or DBP > 120, no acute end-organ damage - Hypertensive emergency: SBP > 180 and/or DBP > 120 WITH acute end-organ damage (encephalopathy, aortic dissection, acute MI, acute kidney injury, pulmonary edema) For NCLEX-RN: know the medication classes and their nursing priorities, recognize hypertensive urgency vs emergency, and understand target organ damage surveillance. On the exam, writers often pair stable-sounding options with unstable data—notice the mismatch before you commit. If the stem names a license or role, reread that line; scope errors...