hypertension

[hahy-per-ten-shuhn]

noun

1. Pathology.

   1. elevation of the blood pressure, especially the diastolic pressure.

   2. an arterial disease characterized by this condition.

2. excessive or extreme emotional tenseness.

hypertension

/ ˌhaɪpəˈtɛnsɪv, ˌhaɪpəˈtɛnʃən /

noun

1. pathol abnormally high blood pressure

hypertension

1. Abnormally high blood pressure, especially in the arteries. High blood pressure increases the risk for heart attack and stroke.

2. Also called high blood pressure

hypertension

1. Abnormally high blood pressure.

Other Word Forms

• antihypertension adjective
• hypertensive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hypertension¹

First recorded in 1890–95; hyper- + tension

Example Sentences

A new preclinical study from investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine reports that hypertension disrupts blood vessels, neurons and white matter in the brain long before blood pressure rises to detectable levels.

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High blood pressure and hypertension occur when blood presses too strongly against vessel walls, increasing the chance of heart attack or stroke.

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Research highlighted in the journal Hypertension has linked elevated uric acid to hypertension and cardiovascular disease, and the risks have been compared to those of high cholesterol.

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“In a way it’s like hypertension,” he says.

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Often referred to as a "silent killer" because it produces no obvious symptoms, hypertension can go unnoticed until it leads to heart attack, stroke, or kidney disease.

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