Source: insider.com<\/p>\n
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a common condition. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in three American adults have high blood pressure, and more than half don’t have it under control.<\/p>\n
There are two types of hypertension \u2014 primary and secondary \u2014 and they each have different causes. Here’s what you need to know about the biggest risk factors.<\/p>\n
What causes high blood pressure
High blood pressure, or hypertension, occurs when the force of the blood against your artery walls is too high, and can potentially lead to heart disease, heart attack, or stroke.<\/p>\n
Primary hypertension tends to develop as you age and there is no one identifiable cause, says Sanjiv Patel, MD, a cardiologist with MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center.<\/p>\n
Secondary hypertension, on the other hand, is caused by other factors, such as adrenal gland tumors or kidney problems, like renal artery stenosis \u2014 a condition that narrows arteries resulting in less blood flow to the kidneys.<\/p>\n
Because secondary hypertension is the result of an underlying cause, it can be treated by addressing that cause, Patel says, while primary hypertension has no cure \u2014 but can be controlled with lifestyle changes or medication.<\/p>\n
Lifestyle factors often cause primary hypertension, Patel says. Some of the biggest risk factors include:<\/p>\n
Hypertension can cause headaches, blurred vision and shortness of breath, but you may not experience many symptoms until the condition is very severe, Patel says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, certain people have a higher risk of hypertension. For example, older people \u2014 especially over the age of 60 \u2014 are more likely to have high blood pressure because blood vessels gradually lose flexibility as we age.<\/p>\n
Here are some other physical and hereditary\u00a0risk factors:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Regular blood pressure checks at your doctor’s office or at home with a\u00a0home blood pressure monitor\u00a0can be crucial to identifying hypertension. If you think you’re at risk of hypertension based on these factors, you should contact your doctor to discuss treatment options.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4252,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[672,305,273,2849,2022,298,51],"class_list":["post-4250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-heart-care","tag-blood-pressure","tag-diet","tag-health","tag-health-explainers","tag-heart-health","tag-high-blood-pressure","tag-obesity"],"yoast_head":"\n