There are many risk factors which may contribute to an individual’s risk of developing high blood pressure.
- Age – getting old poses a high risk especially when lifestyle has been less satisfactory health-wise; age of 50 up has been more prone to have higher blood pressure
- Ethnicity
- Gender – women have been found to be less likely to develop high blood pressure than men especially at younger ages.
- Family history – higher risk if you have a family history of high blood pressure, but knowing preventive measures and actually adapting those measures could lessen the risk.
- Smoking – top risk factor for many other diseases
- Very minimal or zero exercise and physical activity – may lead to a weak heart, poor exercise tolerance, and obesity; all of which have been found to be contributory to having high blood pressure.
- Diet – salty food intake has been known to worsen high blood pressure in certain individuals; heavy weight due to over-indulgence in food poses a higher risk
- Kidney problems -damage to the kidneys, such as can occur from diabetes, almost invariably leads to hypertension
- Medications – some medications can cause or worsen high blood pressure, as can a wide variety of street, or “recreational” drugs, like cocaine, crack, and amphetamines.
- Other medical problems – Hormone imbalances, certain anatomic abnormalities, tumors, and other medical problems can cause secondary hypertension.
Always remember prevention is better than cure.