You can have hypertension (high blood pressure) for years without a single symptom. Uncontrolled high blood pressure increases your risk of serious health problems, including stroke and heart attack.

Blood pressure is determined by the amount of resistance to blood flow in your arteries and the amount of blood your heart pumps. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower your arteries, the higher your blood pressure.

High blood pressure typically develops over many years, and it affects nearly everyone eventually. Fortunately, high blood pressure can be easily detected. And once you know you have high blood pressure, you can work with your doctor to control it.