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The situation described points toward gestational hypertension as a likely condition for a pregnant woman presenting with new onset high blood pressure readings, specifically at 24 weeks of gestation. Gestational hypertension is characterized by elevated blood pressure that occurs after 20 weeks of pregnancy in a woman who previously had normal blood pressure levels prior to pregnancy. It is important to distinguish gestational hypertension from chronic hypertension—where the patient had high blood pressure prior to pregnancy—and preeclampsia, which includes not only high blood pressure but also signs of end-organ dysfunction, such as proteinuria.

In this scenario, the readings of 168/96 indicate significant hypertension, and the timing at 24 weeks makes it critical to monitor the patient's symptoms further. Preeclampsia typically has additional symptoms like protein in the urine and is diagnosed after 20 weeks of gestation, but since no additional symptoms such as proteinuria are mentioned, it leans towards gestational hypertension.

The risk factors and the timeline of when hypertension presents during pregnancy are vital in determining whether the condition is gestational hypertension or another related condition. Thus, the new onset of high blood pressure in this context, coupled with the lack of suggestive features of preeclampsia, aligns with