Risk factors for high blood pressure you can't control

Some people are at higher risk for getting high blood pressure than others. Your race, age, and family history all make a difference:

• Race. Race. African-Americans who live in the United States have the highest prevalence of high blood pressure in the world.²
• Age. If you are a man over 45 or a woman over 55, you are at higher risk of developing high blood pressure. Risk increases with age.¹
• Family history. High blood pressure tends to run in families.

Risk factors you can control

There are plenty of ways to lower your risk for high blood pressure! Once you know what to do, you can begin to make important changes that may help. Individual results may vary.

• Obesity. People with a body mass index (BMI) of 30.0 or higher are more likely to develop high blood pressure.³
• Eating too much salt. A high sodium intake increases blood pressure in some people.³
• Drinking too much alcohol. Heavy and regular use of alcohol can increase blood pressure dramatically.³
• Lack of physical activity. An inactive lifestyle makes it easier to become overweight and increases the chance of high blood pressure.³
• Stress. This is often mentioned as a risk factor, but stress levels are hard to measure, and responses to stress vary from person to person.³

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