Abstract
There is a limited literature discussing the long-term outcome of patients admitted to the emergency department with elevated blood pressure. The aim of the present study was to evaluate outcomes of patients with hypertension who attended an emergency department. All patients with hypertension who attended an emergency department without target organ damage were evaluated. A composite end point at 18 months, which included all-cause mortality, acute coronary syndrome, cerebrovascular accident, or hospitalization for heart failure, were compared between patients with hypertension and those with normotension. Overall, 410 patients were included in the study. Baseline characteristics were similar between patients with hypertension and those with normotension, except chronic renal failure being more prevalent in patients with hypertension. The composite primary end point occurred similarly in both groups; however, hospitalization for heart failure was significantly more common in patients with hypertension. Elevated blood pressure during an emergency department visit is associated with an increased risk for hospitalization for heart failure during an 18-month follow-up period compared with normotension.