Hypertension is one of the most common chronic medical conditions in the India. The prevalence of hypertension is increased in India; it is approximated that around 1% of patients with hypertension develop a hypertensive crisis during their lifetime. A hypertensive crisis is further classified into hypertensive emergency (HTN–E) and hypertensive urgency (HTN–U). HTN–E is characterized by elevation of blood pressure (BP; ≥180/120 mm Hg) that represents an acute threat to vital organs leading to organ damage or target organ failure. HTN–U is characterized by an uncontrolled blood pressure without failure or damage to the target organ, and it should be controlled with oral drugs. Hence, present study was an attempt to create awareness regarding various clinical risk factors leading to hypertensive crisis along with their timely prevention and subsequently reducing mortality and morbidity associated with it

Summary

Hypertensive crisis is a global health concern which requires systematic and urgent attention. It may be helpful to classify patients of HTN–C into HTN–E and HTN–U during emergency management. The study helps to outline a better clinical approach in dealing with hypertensive crisis. Hypertensive crisis is a significant clinical entity having considerable mortality and morbidity, with persistent target organ damage in many patients, which significantly hampers their quality of life. This study guides us to investigate and comprehend the clinical profile of underlying mechanisms of hypertensive crisis.