Diagnosing secondary high blood pressure

Your doctor may suspect that you have secondary high blood pressure (caused by another condition or by medicine) if:

• Your blood pressure has suddenly gone up since it was last checked.
• You are young and your blood pressure is 160/100 or higher.
• You had many treatments and medicines but your blood pressure is still 160/100 or higher.
• You have symptoms of conditions that may raise blood pressure, such as obesity and muscle weakness from Cushing's syndrome.
• Your kidneys don't work as well as they should.

If your doctor thinks you may have secondary high blood pressure, you may need tests to diagnose other health problems that could be causing your high blood pressure. Your doctor will also check any medicines that you are taking-some medicines can cause high blood pressure as a side effect.