Symptoms of
High Blood Pressure / MENU / Prevention of
High Blood Pressure
What Causes High Blood Pressure?
- In more than 90 percent of cases, no single identifiable cause can be pinpointed, but risk factors include a family history of high blood pressure, gender (women are at one-half to two-thirds the risk of men), race (incidence is up to twice as great among blacks as among whites), emotional stress, sedentary lifestyle, and aging. Obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, and a high-sodium diet also increase the risk of high blood pressure.
- When an underlying cause can be identified, the condition is known as secondary hypertension. Such causes include kidney disorders, adrenal tumors, and pregnancy.
For more information on
Hypertension and related conditions, click on this link -- Johns Hopkins Health Alerts: Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) and Stroke
