High blood pressure (Hypertension)
Overview
High blood pressure or hypertension increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Hypertension risk factors include obesity, drinking too much alcohol, smoking, and family history.
Treatment options
The Hypertension Clinic is available through the Department of Internal Medicine at SIU Medicine. The Hypertension Clinic is multidisciplinary, involving general internal medicine and nephrology physicians, all certified as American Society of Hypertension (ASH) hypertension specialists, as well as allied health providers, to provide comprehensive state-of-the-art care for patients with hypertension and related conditions. The clinic provides advanced evaluations and team-based care to patients with hypertension and related cardiovascular conditions. With state-of-the-art ambulatory blood pressure monitors, the Hypertension Clinic can offer 24-hour blood pressure monitoring. Learn more about the Hypertension Clinic.
Primary aldosteronism is relatively common clinically though it is woefully under-diagnosed. SIU Medicine has diagnosed over 111 patients with this condition in the last few years. Learn more about this condition. If you have hypertension you might have primary aldosteronism as the cause or a contributing factor to your hypertension.
Patients with any of the following types of hypertension could benefit from the SIU Hypertension Clinic.
- General
- Complex drug therapy
- White coat hypertension
- Difficult to control (resistant hypertension)
- Primary aldosteronism
- Pheochromocytoma
- Renovascular
- Sleep apnea
Schedule an appointment with one of our providers, today, to begin treatment for this condition.
John Flack, MD | Hypertension specialist
Dr. John Flack is a nationally recognized expert in high blood pressure research and treatment. His work has deepened the understanding of health disparities and cardiovascular disease, with a focus on improving outcomes for Black patients. Dr. Flack is developing innovative ways to deliver better care across Illinois.
Care team
Hypertension specialty clinic
According to the CDC, in 2021 high blood pressure was a primary or contributing cause in over 690,000 deaths in the United States. The SIU hypertension team uses cutting-edge testing, prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, and lifestyle changes to lower blood pressure.
