Lifestyle choices, such as drinking excessive amounts of alcohol or smoking cigarettes can cause hypertension. However, there are several other common reasons people develop high blood pressure. The most common factors include being overweight, being a woman and going through menopause, drinking too much salt-containing fluid, and having a family history of hypertension. If you have a long-term medical condition, such as congestive heart failure, chronic kidney disease, or diabetes, you are more likely to develop hypertension.
As you can see there are a lot of factors that can influence your blood pressure, but here are the top 5 ones that you should be aware of!
Table of Contents
Weight
Being overweight is one of the top risk factors for hypertension. If you are an overweight woman, losing just 10 pounds can lower your blood pressure by 5-10 points. If you are overweight, this goal should be at the forefront of your mind when trying to prevent the disease. Risk Factors: Statistics show that women who experience menopause before the age of 45 are more likely to develop hypertensive disorders during their lifetime. This can be due to fluctuating hormones, which we will talk about later in this article.
Consuming too much salt
Drinking excessive amounts of sodium-containing fluids is a bad idea, especially if you want to keep your blood pressure healthy. In fact, it has been shown that cutting the sodium in your diet can help reduce hypertension by up to 10 points! While you may not be able to cut out salt from your diet completely, there are easy ways to save on sodium intake. Try using more spices and herbs in your food, for example, garlic powder or chili powder instead of salt.
Family History of Hypertension
If you come from a family with a history of hypertension, there is a good chance that you will develop the condition as well. This is due to the fact that genetics can influence your risk for certain diseases and disorders. If one or both parents have high blood pressure, it’s even more likely that you will develop the disease as well.
Congestive Heart Failure
People who suffer from congestive heart failure are at a much higher risk of developing hypertension. It is estimated that approximately 30-50% of those diagnosed with CHF also have high blood pressure. If this is your case, it’s very important to control your blood pressure, even if it means taking multiple medications.
Pregnancy
It is normal for your blood pressure to go up during pregnancy, but there are times when the increase in hypertension will occur before you are pregnant or well into the second or third trimester. This condition is known as gestational hypertension and can lead to preeclampsia, which is a potentially dangerous condition for both the mother and child.
Conclusion
While you may already be aware of the main risk factors for hypertension, it never hurts to brush up on them. We hope this list has been helpful and informative! If you have any questions about your blood pressure or other health-related concerns, check out what we have to say on this blog and read more about the issue.
Stay healthy, eat well, and exercise regularly to ensure y our blood pressure stays as low as possible!
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