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Medicine vocabulary · Diseases by System

Hypertension

Meaning in medicine, with examples

/ˌhaɪpərˈtenʃən/nounCore term

In medicine, hypertension means: Blood pressure that stays higher than normal over time, which increases the risk of stroke, heart attack and kidney disease.

In Turkish: hipertansiyon, yüksek tansiyon

How it is used

Doctors say hypertension (HTN in notes); patients usually say 'high blood pressure'. It is diagnosed, treated and controlled, and a patient may be described as hypertensive.

Example sentences

  1. He was diagnosed with hypertension last year and started on a single tablet.

  2. Is your hypertension well controlled at home?

Common collocations

  • essential hypertension
  • uncontrolled hypertension
  • treat hypertension
  • history of hypertension
  • blood pressureThe force of the blood pushing against the walls of the arteries, measured in millimetres of mercury and given as two numbers, for example 120/80.
  • strokeSudden damage to part of the brain caused by a blocked blood vessel or by bleeding, which can cause weakness, speech problems or loss of vision.
  • heart failureA long-term condition in which the heart cannot pump blood around the body as well as it should, often causing breathlessness, tiredness and swollen ankles.
  • chronicLasting a long time, usually more than three months, or coming back again and again; used for diseases that are controlled rather than cured.

More terms: Diseases by System

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.