With the aim of informing the first contact physician about the hypertensive states of pregnancy, we carried out this bibliographic review. Sources in English and Spanish were consulted for the writing of this article. Hypertensive status of pregnancy refers to a group of disorders that constitute, as a group, one of the most common complications of pregnancy [1]. The incidence of this group of disorders is close to 1 in 10 pregnant women [2], due to its high frequency, it is important for all doctors to know about these states, for their early identification, particular diagnostic method to each of them and the treatment of choice. Thus through prevention at the first level of care and its treatment at the second level of care, the incidence of both maternal and perinatal complications is reduced, generating a benefit to the Mexican public health.