Key points
- Some medical conditions, including diabetes and overweight or obesity, can increase your risk for high blood pressure.
- Lifestyle habits, such as your diet, amount of physical activity, drinking too much alcohol, and using tobacco products, can also increase your risk.
- Some risk factors, including family history, age, and race or ethnicity, cannot be changed.
Know your risk
Many factors can increase your risk for high blood pressure. While you cannot change some risk factors, such as your age or family history, healthy lifestyle choices and managing certain health conditions can help lower your risk.
Conditions that can increase risk
If you have one of these conditions, work with your health care team to help manage it and help you prevent high blood pressure.
Elevated blood pressure
Elevated blood pressure is blood pressure that is slightly higher than normal but not yet considered high blood pressure. Over time, elevated blood pressure can progress to high blood pressure.
Blood pressure is considered elevated when the systolic (top) number is 120–129 mm Hg and the diastolic (bottom) number is less than 80 mm Hg.
Diabetes
About 3 out of 4 people with diabetes also have high blood pressure. Diabetes also increases the risk for heart disease.
Obesity
Having overweight or obesity increases your risk for high blood pressure and other health conditions, including high cholesterol, heart disease, and diabetes.
Pregnancy
Some women develop high blood pressure during pregnancy. Monitor your blood pressure before, during, and after pregnancy.
Behaviors that can increase risk
Many lifestyle habits can increase your risk for high blood pressure. The good news is that these are among the risk factors you can change.
Unhealthy diet
Eating a diet that is high in sodium and low in potassium can increase your risk for high blood pressure. Most of the sodium people consume comes from processed and restaurant foods.
Physical inactivity
Not getting enough physical activity can increase your risk for high blood pressure. Adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity (like fast walking) or 75 minutes of intense activity (like running) each week.
Too much alcohol
Drinking too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure.
Tobacco use
Smoking and other forms of tobacco can damage the heart and blood vessels. Nicotine raises blood pressure, and carbon monoxide from tobacco smoke reduces the amount of oxygen that your blood can carry.
Risk factors you cannot change
Many factors can increase your risk for high blood pressure, including those that cannot be changed.
Genetics and family history
High blood pressure can run in families. Genes play a role, but shared environments and lifestyle habits may also contribute to higher risk. Knowing your family health history can help you understand your risk.
Sex
Both men and women can develop high blood pressure. Women are about as likely as men to develop high blood pressure during their lifetime.
Age
Your risk for high blood pressure increases as you get older. About 9 out of 10 Americans will develop high blood pressure during their lifetime.
Race and ethnicity
Black people are more likely to develop high blood pressure than White people, Hispanics, Asians, Pacific Islanders, American Indians, or Alaska Natives. Compared with White people, Black people also tend to develop high blood pressure at younger ages.
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