'''Primarna''' (tudi '''esencialna''') '''hipertenzija''' je [[hipertenzija]] z neznano [[etiologija|etiologijo]], ki nima organskega vzroka in pri kateri je [[krvni tlak]] stalno zvišan.<ref>http://www.lek.si/si/skrb-za-zdravje/medicinski-slovar/, Slovenski medicinski e-slovar.</ref> Gre za najpogostejšo obliko hipertenzije, in sicer zajema okoli 95 % vseh primerov hipertenzije.<ref name="pmid10645931">{{cite journal |authorauthor1=Carretero OA, |author2=Oparil S |title=Essential hypertension. Part I: definition and etiology |journal=[[Circulation (journal)|Circulation]] |volume=101 |issue=3 |pages=329–335 |year=2000 |pmid=10645931 |doi= |url=http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/pmidlookup?view=long&pmid=10645931 |issn= |accessdate=5. 6. 2009}}</ref><ref name="pmid14597461">{{cite journal |authorauthor1=Oparil S, |author2=Zaman MA, |author3=Calhoun DA |title=Pathogenesis of hypertension |journal=[[Ann. Intern. Med.]] |volume=139 |issue=9 |pages=761–776 |year=2003 |pmid=14597461 |doi= |url= |issn= |accessdate=5. 6. 2009}}</ref><ref name="isbn0-7216-0240-1">{{cite book |authorlast1=Hall, |first1=John E.; |last2=Guyton, |first2=Arthur C. |authorlink= |editor= |others= |title=Textbook of medical physiology |edition= |language= |publisher=Elsevier Saunders |location=St. Louis, Mo |year=2006 |origyear= |pages=228 |quote= |isbn=0-7216-0240-1 |oclc= |doi= |url= |accessdate=}}</ref><ref name="urlHypertension: eMedicine Nephrology">{{cite web |url=http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/241381-overview |title=Hypertension: eMedicine Nephrology |author= |authorlink= |coauthors= |date= |format= |work= |publisher= |pages= |language= |archiveurl= |archivedate= |quote= |accessdate=5. 6. 2009}}</ref> Verjetno je posledica tako [[genetika|genetskih]] kot okolijskih dejavnikov. [[Prevalenca]] se povečuje s [[staranje]]m in posamezniki z višjimi vrednostmi krvnega tlaka v mladosti imajo večje tveganje za kasnejši razvoj hipertenzije. Hipertenzija povečuje tveganje za [[možgani|možganske]], [[srce|srčne]] in [[ledvice|ledvične]] bolezni.<ref name="urlEssential hypertension : The Lancet">{{cite webjournal |url last=http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(07)61299-9/abstractMesserli |title first=EssentialFranz hypertensionH :| Thelast2=Williams Lancet| |authorfirst2=Bryan |authorlink last3=Ritz |coauthors first3=Eberhard |date title=Essential hypertension |format journal=The |work=Lancet |publisher volume=370 |pages=|languageissue=9587 |archiveurl=|archivedateyear=2007 |quote=|accessdatedoi=110.1016/s0140-6736(07)61299-9 6.| 2009pages=591–603}}</ref>
