High Blood Pressure Causes and Risk Factors

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Many factors raise your risk of high blood pressure. You can change some risk factors, such as unhealthy lifestyle habits. A healthy lifestyle can lower your risk for developing high blood pressure.

Other risk factors, such as age, family history and  genetics genetic (jeh-NEH-tik):
Having to do with genes. Most genes are sequences of DNA that contain information for making specific proteins or molecules of RNA that perform important functions in a cell. The information in genes is passed from parents to children. , race and ethnicity, and sex, cannot be changed. But, you can still take steps to reduce your risk of high blood pressure and its complications.

Age

Blood pressure tends to rise with age. Blood vessels naturally thicken and stiffen over time. These changes increase the risk for high blood pressure.

However, the risk of high blood pressure is rising for children and teens, possibly because more children and teens have overweight or obesity.

Family history and genetics

High blood pressure often runs in families. Much of what we know about high blood pressure has come from genetic studies. Many  genes gene (jeen):
The unit that passes heredity from parents to children. Genes are pieces of DNA and contain information for making a specific protein. are linked to small increases in high blood pressure risk.  Research Research (REE-serch):
The scientific study of nature that sometimes includes processes of health and disease in people. Biomedical research can be defined as basic and pre-clinical, clinical and population science, implementation, and translational. Basic research seeks to understand the mechanisms of biology, disease, or behavior. Pre-clinical research connects basic science with clinical research. Clinical and population science research includes clinical trials that find safe and effective ways to prevent, detect, or treat diseases. Implementation research involves the adoption of interventions into routine clinical care for the general population. Translational research moves scientific discovery from basic and pre-clinical research to clinical studies and finally to clinical practice.  suggests that as an unborn baby grows in the womb, some  DNA DNA (NULL):
:The molecules inside cells that carry information and pass it from one generation to the next.  changes may also raise the risk for high blood pressure later in life.

Some people have a high sensitivity to salt in their diet, which can play a role in high blood pressure. This can also run in families.

Lifestyle habits

Lifestyle habits can increase the risk of high blood pressure, including if you:

• Eat unhealthy foods often, especially foods that are high in salt and low in potassium. Some people, including Black people, older adults, and people who have  chronic kidney disease chronic kidney disease (KRAH-nik KID-nee di-SEEZ):
  When kidneys are damaged over a period of time and slowly lose the ability to filter blood properly. , diabetes, or metabolic  syndrome syndrome (SIN-drome):
  Signs, symptoms, or conditions that suggest a specific disease when they occur together. , are more sensitive to salt in their diet.
• Drink too much alcohol or caffeine
• Don’t get enough physical activity
• Don’t get enough good-quality sleep
• Experience high-stress situations
• Use substances such as cocaine, methamphetamine, “bath salts,” or other stimulants

Medicines

Some medicines can make it harder for your body to control your blood pressure. Antidepressants, decongestants (medicines to relieve a stuffy nose), hormonal birth control pills, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin or ibuprofen can all raise your blood pressure.

Other medical conditions

Other medical conditions change the way your body controls fluids,  sodium sodium (SOH-dee-um):
A chemical element, represented by the symbol Na. Salt is commonly found in nature and the body. Sodium can combine with other chemical elements or molecules. It is often found with another chemical element, chlorine (Cl), to form sodium chloride (NaCl), or table salt that is used to cook or is added to processed or prepackaged foods. The body needs certain amounts of sodium to keep fluids in balance. Too much sodium can cause the body to retain water. It can also lead to high blood pressure. , and  hormones hormone (HOR-moan):
Substance made in glands throughout the body. Hormones are released into the blood to travel throughout the body to control other body functions. in your blood. Other conditions that can cause high blood pressure include:

• Some tumors 
• Chronic kidney disease
• Metabolic syndrome
• Overweight and obesity
• Sleep apnea
• Thyroid problems

Race or ethnicity

High blood pressure is more common in Black adults than in White, Hispanic, or 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. Also, some high blood pressure medicines may not work as well for Black people.

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.

Sex

Men are more likely than women to develop high blood pressure throughout middle age. But in older adults, women are more likely than men to develop high blood pressure.

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.

Social and economic factors

Research shows that factors such as income, education level, where you live, and the type of job you have, as well as stressors on the job may raise your risk of high blood pressure. Working early or late shifts is one example of a social factor that can raise your risk.

Experiencing discrimination and poverty has been linked to high blood pressure. Also, some research has shown that experiencing stress, danger, harm, or trauma as a child may raise the risk of high blood pressure.

How to prevent high blood pressure

A heart-healthy lifestyle can help prevent high blood pressure and its complications.

• Choose heart-healthy foods that are lower in salt (sodium) and are rich in potassium. Fruits and vegetables are high in potassium. For more ways to limit your sodium, visit the DASH Eating Plan page or print out the Tips to Reduce Salt and Sodium handout.
• Avoid or limit alcohol.
• Get regular physical activity. Even modest amounts can make a difference. Reducing the amount of time you sit each day can help lower your blood pressure.
• Aim for a healthy weight.
• Quit smoking.
• Control your cholesterol and blood sugar levels. To learn some tips to help manage your cholesterol level, read our booklet Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes to Lower Cholesterol.
• Manage stress.
• Get enough good-quality sleep.