While mortality in patients with hypertensive emergency has significantly improved over the past decades, the incidence and complications associated with acute hypertension-mediated organ damage have not followed a similar trend. Hypertensive emergency is characterized by an abrupt surge in blood pressure, mostly occurring in people with pre-existing hypertension to result in acute hypertension-mediated organ damage. Acute hypertension-mediated organ damage commonly affects the cardiovascular system, and present as acute heart failure, myocardial infarction, and less commonly, acute aortic syndrome. Elevated cardiac troponin with or without myocardial infarction is one of the major determinants of outcome in hypertensive emergency.
Author, Year, Country |
Design |
AHF (%) |
AMI (%) |
AAS (%) |
Cumulative (%) |
NIMI (%) |
Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fragoulis [6], 2021, Greece |
Prospective |
58 |
22.6 |
2 |
82.6 |
NR |
National cardiac referral centre registry data. Potential for bias towards cardiac complications. |
Rubin [18], 2019, France |
Prospective |
31 |
NR |
NR |
31% |
63 |
Excluded myocardial infarction from their cohorts and 63% had elevated troponin while 83% had left ventricular hypertrophy. |
Zampaglione [15], 1996, Italy |
Prospective |
36.8 |
12 |
2 |
50.8 |
NR |
Cerebral infarction was the most common acute hypertension-mediated organ damage. However, composite of cardiac complications occurred in 50.8%. |
Kim [12], 2022, Korea |
CS |
NR |
40.5 |
NR |
40.5 |
60.4 |
Focused on prognostic role of cardiac troponin in acute severe hypertension. Elevated (occurred in 41.6%) and detectable (occurred in 36.5%) cardiac troponin associated with higher mortality at 3 years. |
Guiga [20], 2017, France |
CS |
37.4 |
13.8 |
1.8 |
53 |
NR |
Reported higher mortality in hypertensive emergency than hypertensive urgency (12.5 vs. 1.8%). |
Salvetti [8], 2021, Italy 2008 data 2015 data |
Prospective |
34 37.5 |
25 25 |
1 0.5 |
60 63 |
NR NR |
Excluded resuscitated cardiac arrest and patients requiring urgent cardiac catheterization. |
Pacheco [7], 2103, Mexico |
Prospective |
25.2 |
59.5 |
6.3 |
91 |
NR |
Their cohorts composed of a high-risk group admitted into coronary care unit. Reported high rate of acute coronary syndrome and acute aortic syndrome. |
Martin [17], 2004, Brazil |
Retrospective |
25 |
13 |
0 |
33 |
NR |
Reported unstable angina (5%) separately from myocardial infarction (8%). |
Vilela-Martin [21], 2011, Brazil |
CS |
30.7 |
25.1 |
3.5 |
47.2 |
NR |
Reported unstable angina (12.1%) separately from myocardial infarction (13%). |
Nkoke [19], 2020, Cameroon |
CS |
44.6 |
3.6 |
0 |
48.2 |
NR |
Myocardial infarction occurred in 3.6% of their cohorts. Low rate of detection of myocardial infarction may be related to lack of facilities including low rates of ECG and cardiac troponin assay. |
Acosta [22], 2020, USA |
Retrospective |
NR |
1 |
0 |
1 |
15 |
Assessed acute myocardial injury using serial cardiac troponin assay. Excluded acute coronary syndrome from their cohorts. |
Pattanshetty [23], 2012, USA |
Retrospective |
20.5 |
11.7 |
2.3 |
34.5 |
NR |
Obstructive coronary artery disease present in 76.5% of their cohorts with elevated cardiac troponin that had angiogram. |
AAS, acute aortic syndrome; AHF, acute heart failure; AMI, acute myocardial infarction; CS, cross-sectional; NIMI, non-ischemic myocardial injury; NR, not reported; USA, United State of America.
Acute hypertension mediated-organ damage |
Acute heart failure/acute pulmonary edema * |
Acute coronary syndrome * |
ST-elevation myocardial infarction |
Non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction |
Unstable angina |
Acute aortic syndrome |
Acute aortic dissection * |
Intramural hemorrhage/hematoma |
Penetrating atherosclerotic aortic ulcer |
Aortic aneurysm |
Aortic rupture |
Sub-clinical cardiac target organ injury § |
Acute myocardial injury |
* Commonly reported cardiac complications; § Not included as a complication in guidelines.