High Blood Pressure Prevention

If you are trying to prevent high blood pressure, a good place to start is by minimizing the controllable risk factors, such as obesity, inactivity, and drinking too much alcohol. Prevention strategies also include losing weight, exercising, following a healthy diet, and drinking less alcohol. Following these steps will reduce your chances of developing conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, and kidney failure.

Preventing High Blood Pressure: An Overview

Anyone can develop high blood pressure (also known as hypertension). In fact, 1 in 3 Americans (more than 65 million people) has high blood pressure.
 
Unfortunately, in more than 90 percent of cases, the causes of high blood pressure are not known. But research scientists have found certain factors that increase a person's chance of developing hypertension. High blood pressure prevention involves minimizing the high blood pressure risks that can be controlled.
 

High Blood Pressure Prevention: Understanding the Risk Factors

There are a number of risk factors that increase a person's chances of developing high blood pressure.
 Some of these risk factors for high blood pressure cannot be controlled, including:
 
  • Being African American
  • Being a male over the age of 45 or a female over the age of 55
  • Having a family history of high blood pressure.
     
However, there are a number of hypertension risk factors that can be controlled, including:
 
  • Being overweight or obese
  • Being physically inactive
  • High salt and sodium intake
  • Low potassium intake (due to not eating enough fruits and vegetables)
  • Excessive alcohol consumption
  • Diabetes.
     
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
 
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