Most people in the United States consume too much sodium. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the average daily intake for adults is 3,400 milligrams (mg) — 48% higher than the recommended limit. Not eating enough potassium—a mineral that your body needs to work properly—also can increase blood pressure. Potassium is found in many foods; bananas, potatoes, beans, and yogurt have high levels of potassium. A blood pressure test involves inflating a band (cuff) around your upper arm and measuring the pressure in your blood vessels.
But in older adults, women are more likely than men to develop high blood pressure. During pregnancy, Black women are more likely than White women to develop preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a pregnancy disorder that causes sudden high blood pressure and problems with the kidneys and liver. These changes increase the risk for high blood pressure. If your parents have high blood pressure, you’re more likely to develop it. This may be due to family members sharing similar habits, like exercise and diet.
- Many people, including those with healthy habits, don’t know they have it.
- If you are experiencing any of these symptoms and a high blood pressure, seek care immediately.
- Some of them are within your control, such as your exercise habits, diet, and whether you drink alcohol or smoke.
Family history and genetics
Women who have high blood pressure during pregnancy are more likely to have high blood pressure later in life. Research shows that medicines used to control high blood pressure during pregnancy lower the chance of pregnancy complications and won’t harm the developing baby. If you’re concerned about your caffeine intake, it’s best to check in with a healthcare professional. As caffeine is known to elevate blood pressure, wait 30 minutes before taking a blood pressure reading. An inaccurate reading can impact your care, according to a 2022 study. While most cases of hypertension are primary (many-faceted), several underlying health conditions can contribute to or cause secondary hypertension.
Salt intake
It can also increase your risk of diabetes and several cancers. That means there’s no specific cause for your hypertension, and it’s likely due to several factors, including genetics, age, lifestyle, and diet. Your lifestyle choices can increase your risk for high blood pressure. To reduce your risk, your doctor may recommend changes to your lifestyle. As you get older, your blood pressure tends to get higher. This is because arteries tend to become stiff and collect plaque over time.
Research from 2019 suggests that a variation in the ARMC5 gene may explain the increased prevalence of hypertension in Blacks and African Americans. About 5% to 10% of people with high blood pressure have secondary hypertension. It’s attributable to a specific cause, such as hypothyroidism.
It’s important to have your blood pressure checked at least every two years starting at age 18. Your blood pressure is a gauge of how much pressure your blood flow creates in your arteries. If it’s too high, it can damage your cardiovascular system. Hypertension (chronic high blood pressure) can also increase your risk of certain complications, such as heart attack or stroke. The risk for high blood pressure can increase even more when heredity combines with unhealthy lifestyle choices, such as smoking and eating an unhealthy diet. Tobacco use increases your risk for high blood pressure.
More about medicines
- Blood pressure is the measure of the force of blood pushing against blood vessel walls.
- High blood pressure is more common in Black adults than in White, Hispanic, or Asian adults.
- Some other characteristics that you cannot control—such as your age, race, or ethnicity—can affect your risk for high blood pressure.
- They’ll usually recommend a mix of diet, exercise, lifestyle changes, or other interventions.
- This can put mother and baby at risk for problems during or after the pregnancy.
The number of adults with hypertension increased from 650 million in 1990 to 1.4 billion in 2024, with the increase seen largely in low- and middle-income countries. This increase is due mainly to a rise in the number of older adults in those countries. Very high blood pressures can cause headaches, blurred vision, chest pain and other symptoms. The only way to know is to get your blood pressure checked.
Several lifestyle habits or behaviors make a person more vulnerable to developing hypertension. High blood pressure is more common in Black adults than in White, Hispanic, or best crypto bots 2021 Asian adults. Compared with other racial or ethnic groups, Black people tend to have higher average blood pressure numbers and get high blood pressure earlier in life.
High Blood Pressure
Talk with your doctor about how to manage your blood pressure and whether medication might help. Primary hypertension is the most common type of high blood pressure and has no known cause. You can change some risk factors, such as unhealthy lifestyle habits. A healthy lifestyle can lower your risk for developing high blood pressure. Risk factors for hypertension are factors that increase a person’s chances of developing high blood pressure. They can be fixed or non-modifiable, like a family history or advancing age, or modifiable, like a sedentary lifestyle or excessive alcohol or salt consumption.
One common cause of a blood pressure spike is white-coat syndrome. It is defined as blood pressure that is consistently high when a person sees a healthcare provider but is within a normal range when taken outside of the provider’s office. But even moderate alcohol consumption has its drawbacks.
Understanding Causes vs. Risk Factors
Family health history is a useful tool for understanding health risks and preventing disease. Elevated blood pressure is blood pressure that is slightly higher than normal. Having blood pressure that is slightly higher than normal increases your risk for developing chronic high blood pressure. Some medical conditions can raise your risk for high blood pressure. If you have one of these conditions, you can take steps to manage it and lower your risk for high blood pressure.
Smoking cessation has numerous health benefits, some of them within 20 minutes. Nearly 50% of adults in the United States have hypertension, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Hypertension Stages
Lowering your blood pressure even a small amount can help reduce your risk of these problems. Use our check your blood pressure reading tool to see your reading on a chart and understand what it means. High blood pressure is very common, especially in older adults. There are usually no symptoms, so you may not realise you have it. Some people might also need medication to control their blood pressure. Sometimes, hypertension suddenly appears or gets worse during pregnancy.