What if my doctor says I have high blood pressure?
If your test results indicate that you have high blood pressure, your doctor will want to do the following:
- identify any causes of your high blood pressure
- find out if your high blood pressure has already led to coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, or damage to other organs
- identify if you have other risk factors for heart disease
To gather data, your doctor will use the following information:
- your symptoms
- your personal medical history, including your risk factors for heart disease
- your family's medical history
- a physical exam
- laboratory tests and diagnostic procedures including blood and urine samples as well as an electrocardiogram, called an ECG for short