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Causes of high blood pressure
For 90-95% of patients, the exact cause of high blood pressure is not known. Factors such as lifestyle, heredity, age, and race may all play a part. For the other 5–10% of patients, their high blood pressure has a specific underlying cause (such as kidney abnormalities, hormonal imbalances, or certain drugs).
There are risk factors you should know about.
The cause of high blood pressure is usually not known. However, there are risk factors, some of which you can control. When high blood pressure has a specific cause, you can also work to manage that cause, whether it's another medication you're taking or another condition you have.
What you CANNOT control
Family: a family history of high blood pressure
Race: high blood pressure affects over 40% of African Americans†
Age: over half of Americans 60-69 years of age and around three-fourths of Americans 70 and over have high blood pressure
What you CAN control†
Drinking too much alcohol
Being overweight or obese
Eating foods that are high in salt or sodium
Stress that is long-lasting
†Thom T, Haase N, Rosamond W, et al; Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2006 Update: a report from the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Found at http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/reprint/113/6/e85. Published Jan 2006. Accessed February 20, 2009.
‡U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Diseases and Conditions Index. High Blood Pressure. Who Gets High Blood Pressure? Found at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Hbp/HBP_WhoIsAtRisk.html. Accessed March 29, 2009.
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