Tratamiento de la Hipertensión Arterial en el Clínic

The Hypertension and Vascular Risk Unit at Hospital Clínic Barcelona provides diagnosis, treatment and follow-up care for patients with high blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors. 

Care is personalised and based on each patient’s blood pressure values, overall cardiovascular risk, existing medical conditions and any evidence of potential damage to target organs, including the heart, kidneys, brain, or arteries. 

The main objective is to achieve optimal blood pressure control and reduce the risk of cardiovascular, kidney and cerebrovascular complications. This is achieved through therapeutic education, healthy lifestyle measures, and drug therapy when indicated. 

The unit has a multidisciplinary team made up of doctors specialising in hypertension, advanced practice nurses and care coordination staff. 

Initial consultations and follow-up visits are carried out annually in outpatient clinics. Additional tests are performed alongside clinical assessment to confirm the diagnosis, evaluate blood pressure control, and identify any related organ damage. 

The available tests include: 

• Ambulatory blood pressure measurement (ABPM). It allows blood pressure to be measured automatically over a 24-hour period while the person carries out their usual daily activities and during sleep. It is a useful tool that helps to confirm the diagnosis, assess blood pressure control and identify conditions such as white-coat hypertension or masked hypertension. 

• Ankle-brachial index (ABI). The ankle-brachial index (ABI) is a non-invasive test that compares blood pressure in your arms versus your ankles. It is used to assess the presence of peripheral arterial disease. 

• Toe-brachial index (TBI). The toe-brachial index (TBI) is a non-invasive diagnostic test used to detect peripheral arterial disease when the arteries in the lower limbs are incompressible, and/or to identify silent myocardial ischaemia in patients where vascular stiffness is suspected based on ABI results. 

• Pulse wave velocity (PWV). Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity is used to assess arterial stiffness. It is performed using non-invasive methods and provides information about the patient’s vascular health. 

• Non-mydriatic fundus photography. This test produces digital images of the back of the eye without the need to dilate the pupil. It can help detect signs of hypertensive retinopathy and other vascular changes related to high blood pressure. 

• Supra-aortic trunk (SAT) ultrasound. This is an ultrasound test used to assess the carotid arteries. It can be used to measure the carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and detect the presence of atherosclerosis. 

When required, the unit works in coordination with other hospital departments and healthcare professionals to complete the patient assessment. This may involve additional tests, such as echocardiography, renal artery ultrasound, blood and urine tests, imaging studies or other targeted investigations.