High Blood Pressure Prevention

High blood pressure prevention is about minimizing the controllable risk factors, such as obesity, inactivity, and drinking too much alcohol. High blood pressure prevention strategies include losing weight, exercising, following a healthy diet, and drinking less alcohol. High blood pressure prevention will reduce the chances of a person developing life-threatening or life-altering conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, and kidney failure.

 

High Blood Pressure Prevention: An Overview

Anyone can develop high blood pressure (also known as hypertension). In fact, 1 in 3 Americans (more than 65 million people) have high blood pressure. Unfortunately, in more than 90 percent of cases, the causes of high blood pressure are not known. But hypertension 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: Understand 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.
     
(High Blood Pressure Prevention Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD