Hypertension Tutorial

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1. What is hypertension?
2. What is the difference between essential and secondary hypertension?
3. What are several different causes of secondary hypertension?
4. How do changes in cardiac output and systemic vascular resistance influence mean arterial pressure?
5. How do changes in blood volume affect arterial pressure?
6. What are systolic and diastolic aortic pressures?
7. What is arterial pulse pressure and what factors cause it to increase or decrease?
8. What is vascular tone?
9. What factors determine central venous pressure?
10. What is the role of endothelial factors such as nitric oxide, endothelin-1, and prostacyclin in regulating vascular resistance?
11. What mechanisms regulate vascular smooth muscle contraction and relaxation?
12. How do autonomic nerves regulate arterial pressure?
13. How do arterial baroreceptors regulate arterial pressure?
14. What roles do the following humoral factors play in the regulation of arterial pressure?
    1. Angiotensin II
    2. Aldosterone
    3. Vasopressin (antidiuretic hormone)
    4. Atrial Natriuretic Peptide

Revised 11/03/06