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Laboratory Testing for Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

Laboratory Testing for the Hypertension Patient

If you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure (hypertension) , it is recommended that you undergo laboratory testing for the following reasons:

  1. To detect and monitor the damage to organs that may have been caused by high blood pressure.
  2. To determine if there are any risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
  3. To detect any secondary, potentially curable, causes of hypertension.
  4. To detect any other disorders taking place at the same time which may influence prognosis and therapy.
  5. To predict the response of drug therapy.
  6. To monitor effects of the treatment program.

How Do I Prepare for Testing?

A detailed history and physical examination should always come before a laboratory evaluation since they can provide valuable information to your health care provider. It is also important to understand how to prepare for testing. If possible, you should avoid taking any medication for at least 3 to 4 weeks before laboratory testing (Please check with your physician before doing this). Oral contraceptives, anti-asthma drugs, and even a sodium restricted diet can alter the results of your test, making them less reliable. Extensive laboratory testing is no longer considered necessary for most hypertension patients. Most of the time, people with this disorder can be treated medically without the need of wide-range testing. However, if you have been newly diagnosed with high blood pressure you should undergo the following laboratory tests:

Conclusion

Hypertension is usually diagnosed by a medical history and blood pressure measurements. However, a series of tests are done to be certain that there are no other causes of the disease or that the medication does not cause new problems. These tests ensure that there is no underlying heart disease or athlerosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). They also provide baseline values so that if the drug treatments are affecting the kidneys or liver, it can be easily detected.

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Last Reviewed: Jul 20, 2006

University of Cincinnati Amadeo Pesce, PhD
Professor Emeritus
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
College of Medicine
University of Cincinnati