NORMAL BLOOD PRESSURE IN ESSENTIAL HYPERTENSION

Abstract

Essential hypertension is usually defined as a disease characterized chiefly by a persistent elevation of the blood pressure without known organic cause. This elevation of blood pressure may occur in young persons.¹The disease may exist without symptoms for many years, and frequently is not discovered until a cerebral hemorrhage or cardiac insufficiency develops. It is now widely recognized that a disease with such an insidious course can be diagnosed only by routine determinations of the blood pressure at all ages. It is not generally realized, however, that essential hypertension may exist when a normal blood pressure has been observed at one visit. The present paper, therefore, will be devoted to a discussion of the cause, frequency and practical significance of normal blood pressure readings in essential hypertension. <h3>CRITERION OF NORMAL BLOOD PRESSURE</h3> A clear understanding of any blood pressure study necessitates a knowledge of two fundamentals. The first