Risk Factors For Hypertension

 You can have high blood pressure for years without symptoms. Uncontrolled high blood pressure increases the risk of serious health problems, including heart disease and stroke. Fortunately, high blood pressure can be easily detected. And if you know you have high blood pressure, you can work with your doctor to control it. The following can increase your chances for developing high blood pressure:

Older Age is Risk Factors of Hypertension

Older Age

The risk of high blood pressure increase as you age. High blood pressure is more common in men who are 45 years of age and older while women are more likely to develop the condition after age 65.

Family History

Having a family history of high blood pressure can also increase your risk as the condition tends to run in families.

Being Overweight

The more you weight the more blood you need to supply oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. As the volume of blood circulated through your arteries increases, so does the pressure on your artery walls.

Obesity

In particular, obesity in the abdomen also increases arterial pressure and increases blood pressure.

Sedentary Lifestyle

Being inactive is often linked to factors that can increase your heart rate, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. And the higher your heart rate is the harder your heart has to work.

Tobacco Use

If you smoke or chew tobacco your blood pressure rises temporarily. Exposure to secondhand smoke can also increase blood pressure.

Dietary Choices

Reduce These Foods From Your Diet To Lower High Blood Pressure

What you choose to eat (and not to eat) can increase your risk for hypertension, including the following:

·         Too much salt (sodium) can cause your body to retain fluid, which increase blood pressure.

·         Since potassium helps balance the amount of sodium in your cells not getting enough potassium can lead to too much sodium in your blood.

·         While studies are limited vitamin D may affect an enzyme produced by your kidneys that affects your blood pressure, so having too little could be harmful.

Alcohol Consumption

Drinking more than two drinks a day for men and more than one drink a day for women may affect your blood pressure.

Stress

Being under intense stress can lead to a temporary increase in blood pressure.

Chronic Conditions

Having kidney disease, sleep apnea, or diabetes can affect blood pressure.

Pregnancy

Being pregnant can cause an increase in blood pressure.

Birth Control

Women who take birth control pills are at greater risk of developing hypertension.