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How Is Treatment-Resistant Hypertension Defined?
- For several reasons, blood pressure in a patient with hypertension may not be lowered to ideal target levels, despite the use of antihypertensive medications.
- These reasons include nonadherence to prescribed medications, “white-coat hypertension” (hypertension that is present only during clinic visits but not at other times), mismeasured blood pressure, or concomitant use of medications or substances that can elevate blood pressure.
- Treatment-resistant hypertension is defined as hypertension in a patient who is taking three or more medications, including a diuretic, to lower blood pressure, and for whom misdiagnosis (owing to nonadherence, mismeasurement, and so on) has been ruled out.