19th June 2026

Aetiology and pathophysiology

The mechanism underlying hypertension is multifactorial, displaying a complex interplay between genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors. Hypertension can be categorised into primary and secondary causes.

Primary hypertension (or essential hypertension) accounts for 90-95% of cases of hypertension and has no identifiable cause.

Secondary hypertension refers to hypertension with a known cause. These are summarised in Table 1.

Table 1. Secondary causes of hypertension