What term describes high blood pressure that develops after 20 weeks of gestation?

The term that describes high blood pressure developing after 20 weeks of gestation is gestational hypertension. This condition is characterized by an elevation in blood pressure in a woman who did not have high blood pressure prior to pregnancy. The diagnosis is made when the systolic blood pressure is equal to or greater than 140 mmHg, or the diastolic blood pressure is equal to or greater than 90 mmHg, after the 20th week of gestation, without the presence of protein in the urine or other severe features that would indicate preeclampsia.

Gestational hypertension typically resolves after the delivery of the baby, making it distinct from chronic hypertension, which refers to high blood pressure that is present before pregnancy or occurs before the 20-week mark and continues after the pregnancy ends. Preeclampsia, while related, involves hypertension along with proteinuria or other signs of organ dysfunction, which distinguishes it from simple gestational hypertension. A hypertensive crisis is an acute situation that indicates severely elevated blood pressure that requires immediate medical attention, rather than simply defining a condition arising from pregnancy.