A Comprehensive Review of Hypertension Assessment Tools: Detection, Risk Prediction, and Adherence Monitoring

Abstract

Hypertension continues to be one of the leading health problems in the world because it usually develops slowly without symptoms until it becomes very serious, greatly increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. To prevent complications and guide treatment, accurate risk prediction, monitoring, and timely intervention is required. A multitude of predictive models, scores, and scales aimed at diagnosing hypertension, assessing cardiovascular disease risk, estimating patient compliance with prescribed therapy, and observing the patient’s symptoms have been developed globally. In this article, we review the most common tools used for the evaluation of hypertension including blood pressure measurement, cardiovascular risk estimation through the Framingham Risk Score and Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE), Morisky Medication Adherence Scale and other adherence assessment tools, self-care profiles, and symptom scoring systems like Hypertension Symptom Score (HSS). The goal is to make public health and health care practitioners understand the strengths and limitations of each tool toward tailoring the care of hypertensive patients.