High Blood Pressure Risk Factors

Blood pressure is always given as two numbers, the systolic and diastolic pressures and both are important. The systolic pressure is the top number, and the diastolic pressure is the bottom number (for example, 130/80).  If your blood pressure is 130/80, you say that it is "130 over 80".

Risk factors are circumstances that can increase the probability of developing a disease. 

For example, high blood pressure is a risk factor for:

• heart disease,
• congestive heart failure,
• stroke,
• dementia,
• kidney disease,
• Blindness.

However, high blood pressure isn't the only risk factor to be considered. There are other risk factors for heart disease and stroke that have to be taken into consideration and many of these can be modified, though some can't.

If you develop a lot of risk factors towards a particular illness, the greater your chances of developing the disease.  So it is very significant you ensure you take steps to prevent or control these risk factors.

Heart disease and stroke risk factors can be controlled through changes in life-style and changes in diet:

They include

• High blood pressure (hypertension),
• Abnormal cholesterol,
• Tobacco use,
• Diabetes,
• Overweight,
• Physical inactivity.

Women who take oral contraceptives can experience a small but detectable increase in both their systolic and diastolic blood pressure, but this is usually within the normal range. It's only rarely the blood pressure rises to an unacceptable level in this instance.

The following heart disease and stroke risk factors are beyond anyone's control:

• Age which is 55 years and older for men, and 65 years or older for women.
• A family history of early heart disease or a family history of stroke.  This could include parents or siblings who have been diagnosed with heart disease at an early age.
• Race is quite an important factor as high blood pressure occurs more often among African type people than whites.
• It also begins at an earlier age and is usually much more severe.  Furthermore African Americans also have a higher death rate from stroke and kidney disease than do whites.

However treatment can control high blood pressure even though it can't cure it.   In addition if people make everyday life changes these can help prevent and control high their high blood pressure. 

This may include losing weight if the person is obese (losing even 5-10 lbs can help), increasing their physical activity (walking 30 minutes per day), following a good eating plan, emphasizing fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy foods, and also choosing and preparing foods with less salt and sodium.

If you drink alcoholic beverages, then drinking them in moderation is also a good idea. 

If daily life changes alone are not successful in keeping blood pressure controlled, there are now a vast range of blood pressure medications that can do the job.