While the classification scheme used to describe the cause of high blood pressure (Primary and Secondary) does not convey any indication about the actual severity or progression of the disease, staging is a universal system that does convey this information.
When giving a diagnosis of high blood pressure, doctors will record it as being either Stage I or Stage II. This is important information because there are guidelines in place that dictate appropriate treatment options based on stage.
Staging is based on actual numerical blood pressure readings, and has strict cutoff values
