Risk factors
There are various risk factors that may put you at risk for high blood pressure, including:
- Age: As you age, your blood pressure rises.
- Race/Ethnicity: African American adults are more at risk than white or Hispanic adults.
- Being overweight
- Gender: Men ages 55 and younger are more likely to develop high blood pressure than women, while women ages 55 and older are more likely to develop high blood pressure than men.
- Unhealthy lifestyle habits: Smoking, diets that are high in salt and a lack of physical activity all contribute to high blood pressure.
- Family history of high blood pressure
Treatment/prevention
High blood pressure is known as the "silent killer" because it has no warning signs or symptoms, which is why seeing your doctor for regular check-ups is important.
Because each person’s condition is unique, we work closely with you to develop a treatment plan, which may include lifestyle changes, medication or some combination of treatments. You can control your blood pressure by eating healthy, exercising and maintaining a healthy weight.
