Risk Factors for Hypertension

Although the cause of high blood pressure is often unknown, there are factors that can increase the chance of developing the condition.

• Heredity. If your parents have or had high blood pressure, you have a greater chance of having it, too.

• Race. African-Americans are more likely to develop high blood pressure than their Caucasian counterparts.

• Gender. Men run a greater overall risk for developing high blood pressure than women do. However, women who are postmenopausal, especially if 20 pounds or more overweight, are at risk for developing high blood pressure.

• Age. The older we get, the greater the risk for developing high blood pressure.

• Obesity. Overweight people are more likely than others to develop high blood pressure.

Other factors associated with high blood pressure include:

• Heavy alcohol consumption. People with alcohol problems also tend to have high blood pressure. Heavy drinking and high blood pressure damage the heart and can lead to heart disease.
• Diabetes. People with diabetes often have high blood pressure. If you have diabetes, your doctor should be following your blood pressure as well. Having both diabetes and hypertension increases your risk for developing heart disease more than if you had only one of those risks.
• Use of oral contraceptives. Some women are prone to high blood pressure when taking "the pill."
• Sedentary or inactive lifestyle. On the other hand, exercise reduces blood pressure or makes high blood pressure easier to manage.

Related Articles What is Coronary Heart Disease? Facts about Congestive Heart Failure What is Hypertension? What Is Stroke?

External Source National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute National High Blood Pressure Education Program. The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure. 2003

This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.

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