High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

Cause

Experts know that many different factors are linked to high blood pressure. But experts still don't fully understand the exact cause. Factors that are linked to high blood pressure include:^{1, 2}

• Aging.
• Drinking more than 2 alcohol drinks a day for men or more than 1 alcohol drink a day for women.
• Eating a lot of sodium (salt).
• Being overweight or obese.
• Having high cholesterol.
• Not exercising.
• Being under a lot of stress.
• Eating a diet low in potassium, magnesium, and calcium.
• Being insulin-resistant.

Primary, or essential, high blood pressure accounts for 95% of all cases of hypertension.³Secondary high blood pressure, which is caused by another disease or medicine, is less common.

Elevated blood pressure readings may not always mean that you have high blood pressure. For some people, just being in a medical setting causes their blood pressure to rise. This is called white-coat hypertension.

More information How does stress cause high blood pressure? How does smoking cause high blood pressure? How does sodium cause high blood pressure? How does eating too much fat cause high blood pressure? How does a sedentary lifestyle cause high blood pressure? How do endocrine disorders cause secondary high blood pressure? How does kidney disease cause secondary high blood pressure?

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Author:	Carrie Henley Robin Parks, MS	Last Updated: July 30, 2007
Medical Review:	Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine Caroline S. Rhoads, MD - Internal Medicine Stephen Fort, MD, MRCP, FRCPC - Interventional Cardiology Robert A. Kloner, MD, PhD - Cardiology Ruth Schneider, MPH, RD - Diet and Nutrition
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