Systemic Hypertension is a state of high blood pressure within the body.
This means that the heart must work very hard to propel blood forward, which increases oxygen demands and can cause changes to the myocytes (muscle cells).
In veterinary medicine, this condition is typically a result of chronic kidney disease, thyroid disease, or various other metabolic conditions. In some cases, essential (idiopathic) hypertension may be suspected.
This condition can cause severe end-organ damage to include the brain, heart, kidneys, and eyes.
If an underlying condition can be identified, treatment is directed towards that condition and maintaining the systemic blood pressure at a reasonable level with medications.
Frequent rechecks are required to optimize the dose of anti-hypertensive medications.
