High blood pressure has many risk factors. Some risk factors you can’t control include:
Family History
High blood pressure tends to run in families.
Race
High blood pressure is particularly common among blacks, often developing at an earlier age than it does in whites. Serious complications, such as stroke and heart attack, also are more common in blacks.
Age
The risk of high blood pressure increases as you age. Through early middle age, high blood pressure is more common in men. Women are more likely to develop high blood pressure after menopause.
Other risk factors for high blood pressure are within your control:
- Being overweight or obese.
- Not being physically active.
- Using tobacco.
- Too much salt (sodium) in your diet.
- Too little potassium in your diet.
- Too little vitamin D in your diet.
- Too much alcohol.
- Stress.
- Certain chronic conditions.
