Risk factors

What are the risk factors?

Risk factors that can increase your risk for high blood pressure include health conditions, your lifestyle and your family history. Some of the risk factors for high blood pressure cannot be controlled, such as your age or family history.

Making healthy lifestyle changes can help reduce your chances of getting high blood pressure and help lower your blood pressure if it's already high.

You're at increased risk of high blood pressure if you:

Are over the age of 65
Are overweight or obese
Are of African or Caribbean descent
Have a relative with high blood pressure
Eat too much salt and don't eat enough fruit and vegetables
Don't do enough exercise
Drink too much alcohol or coffee (or other caffeine-based drinks)
Smoke
Don't get much sleep or have disturbed sleep

Did you know?

More than 1 in 5 adults worldwide have raised blood pressure – a condition that causes around half of all deaths from stroke and heart disease. Complications from hypertension account for 9.4 million deaths worldwide every year.

Source: World Health Organization