Resistant Hypertension Causedby Stenosis of the Aorta in Elderly Women: Three Case Reports

Abstract

Arterial hypertension is the most common cardiovascular disease in older than middle-agedpatients. Reported incidence of secondary hypertension in this age group is around 10%. Toevaluate secondary hypertension, history taking and physical examination should be precise,which are usually not routinely performed in busy outpatient clinic. Here, we report threecases of elderly women who are taking antihypertensive and visited outpatient clinic foruncontrolled hypertension. Their diagnosis of aortic stenosis was delayed, and its presencewas suggested by detection of high abdominal aortic flow velocity during transthoracic echocardiography. This case report gives us lessons that suspicion of secondary hypertensionand careful physical examination are most important to make diagnosis early.