Resistant Hypertension Treatment

Resistant hypertension is high blood pressure that doesn’t respond to medical treatment. High blood pressure means your blood flow consistently puts too much pressure on your artery walls. This forces your heart to work harder to pump blood.

High blood pressure is common, and in most cases, can be treated with medication and lifestyle changes – such as exercising, eating healthy and not smoking. Hypertension becomes resistant if you are taking three or more medications and your blood pressure is still too high. In some cases, hypertension may be associated with or caused by another medical condition.

If left untreated, uncontrolled hypertension can damage your arteries and make it harder to move blood through your body. This can increase your risk of stroke, heart attack, heart failure and other heart conditions. It may also damage other organs like your kidneys and brain.

High blood pressure does not usually cause obvious symptoms. Regular check ups with your primary care provider or cardiologist are essential. If the condition becomes resistant, you could benefit from our Resistant Hypertension Program.

To help manage your resistant hypertension, we first review your medical records and current treatment plan. We will also do our own diagnostic testing to confirm the diagnosis and evaluate the best treatment approach. Diagnostic testing may include:

• At-home portable blood pressure monitoring
• Blood and urine samples to evaluate levels of sugar, sodium and potassium and to help detect underlying conditions
• Imaging tests, like CT scans, ultrasounds and X-rays to eliminate potential causes
• Tests for kidney or thyroid disease
• Genetic testing for potential hereditary causes of hypertension
• A sleep study to check for sleep apnea, which can cause resistant hypertension

Based on the findings from our diagnostic testing, our resistant hypertension specialists will create a custom treatment plan based on your needs. This may include adjustments to your medication or lifestyle changes around:

• Diet
• Exercise
• Weight loss
• Smoking
• Sleep apnea control

Our comprehensive approach to treating resistant hypertension and the vast network of heart and vascular specialists at Baptist Health also gives you access to the latest treatment options. We can help you treat any underlying conditions that may be causing your resistant hypertension or that have resulted from uncontrolled hypertension.