Blood pressure tends to rise with age. If you’re a male older than 45 or a female older than 55, your risk for HBP is higher. Over half of all Americans aged 60 and older have HBP.

Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) is the most common form of HBP in older adults. ISH occurs when only systolic blood pressure (the top number) is high. About 2 out of 3 people over age 60 who have HBP have ISH.

HBP doesn’t have to be a routine part of aging. You can take steps to keep your blood pressure at a normal level
visit /www.nhlbi.nih.gov

Answered by Jyothi , an ibibo Master, at 11:10 AM on September 10, 2008

In the United States, about 72 million people have high blood pressure (HBP). This is about 1 in 3 adults.

Certain traits, conditions, or habits are known to raise the risk for HBP. These conditions are called risk factors. This section describes the major risk factors for HBP.

Older Age :
Blood pressure tends to rise with age. If you’re a male older than 45 or a female older than 55, your risk for HBP is higher. Over half of all Americans aged 60 and older have HBP.

Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) is the most common form of HBP in older adults. ISH occurs when only systolic blood pressure (the top number) is high. About 2 out of 3 people over age 60 who have HBP have ISH.

HBP doesn’t have to be a routine part of aging. You can take steps to keep your blood pressure at a normal level. (For more information, see “How Is High Blood Pressure Treated?”)

Race/Ethnicity :
HBP can affect anyone. However, it occurs more often in African American adults than in Caucasian or Hispanic American adults. In relation to these groups, African Americans:

• Tend to get HBP earlier in life
• Often have more severe HBP
• Are more likely to be aware that they have HBP and to get treatment
• Are less likely than Caucasians and about as likely as Hispanic Americans to achieve target control levels with HBP treatment
• Have higher rates than Caucasians of premature death from HBP-related complications, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure

HBP risks vary among different groups of Hispanic American adults. For instance, Puerto Rican American adults have higher rates of HBP-related death than all other Hispanic groups and Caucasians. But, Cuban Americans have lower rates than Caucasians.

Overweight or Obesity :
You’re more likely to develop prehypertension or HBP if you’re overweight or obese. Overweight is having extra body weight from muscle, bone, fat, and/or water. Obesity is having a high amount of extra body fat.

Gender :
Fewer adult women than men have HBP. But, younger women (aged 18–59) are more likely than men to be aware of and get treatment for HBP.

Women aged 60 and older are as likely as men to be aware of and treated for HBP. However, among treated women aged 60 and older, blood pressure control is lower than it is in men in the same age group.

Unhealthy Lifestyle Habits :
A number of lifestyle habits can raise your risk for HBP, including:

• Eating too much sodium (salt)
• Drinking too much alcohol
• Not getting enough potassium in your diet
• Not doing enough physical activity
• Smoking

Other Risk Factors :
A family history of HBP raises your risk for the condition. Long-lasting stress also can put you at risk for HBP.

You’re also more likely to develop HBP if you have prehypertension. Prehypertension means that your blood pressure is in the 120–139/80–89 mmHg range.

Risk Factors for Children and Teens :
Overweight is on the rise in youth younger than 18 years. As a result, prehypertension and HBP also are becoming more common in this age group.

African American and Mexican American youth are more likely to have HBP and prehypertension than Caucasian youth. Also, boys are at higher risk for HBP than girls.

Like adults, children and teens need to have routine blood pressure checks. This is even more important if a young person is overweight.

Answered by YourS , an ibibo Specialist, at 5:34 PM on September 09, 2008

Well Mike,
Ethnicity
Being black is associated with a higher risk of developing high blood pressure. New studies are inconclusive on whether the risk is equivalent between African Americans and people of African heritage who have never left the African continent.1
3. Gender
At younger ages, women are less likely to develop high blood pressure than men. This risk equalizes later in life, but statistically, women are still less likely to develop high blood pressure, overall.
4. Family History
Having a family history of high blood pressure places you in a higher risk category than someone with no family history of high blood pressure. However, what this actually means is still a topic of research. It is clear that family history plays an important role in determining risk, but there are probably more important factors, and they are under your control.2
5. Smoking
Smoking is the number 1 risk factor over which you have control. Smoking is such a powerful risk fator for so many different human diseases that doctors are encouraged to ask every patient who smokes if they would like to quit - every time they visit the office! Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do for your health.
6. Activity Level / Exercise
A low exercise lifestyle leads to a weak heart, poor exercise tolerance, and obesity. All of which have been implicated in the development of high blood pressure.

source site : http://highbloodpressure.about .com/od/understandyourrisk/tp/ risk_tp.htm

Answered by Priyanka C , an ibibo Master, at 6:11 PM on September 07, 2008

Hello Mike..

Those over the age of 35, especially with a family history of high blood pressure or African American heritage have "non-changeable risk factors." However, some risk factors that can be changed include: obesity, high salt intake, alcohol consumption, lack of physical activity and high levels of stress.

Answered by Saq , an ibibo Master, at 4:05 PM on September 05, 2008

well mike !
In the United States, about 72 million people have high blood pressure (HBP). This is about 1 in 3 adults.

Certain traits, conditions, or habits are known to raise the risk for HBP. These conditions are called risk factors. This section describes the major risk factors for HBP.

Older Age
Blood pressure tends to rise with age. If you’re a male older than 45 or a female older than 55, your risk for HBP is higher. Over half of all Americans aged 60 and older have HBP.

Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) is the most common form of HBP in older adults. ISH occurs when only systolic blood pressure (the top number) is high. About 2 out of 3 people over age 60 who have HBP have ISH.

HBP doesn’t have to be a routine part of aging. You can take steps to keep your blood pressure at a normal level. (For more information, see “How Is High Blood Pressure Treated?”)

Race/Ethnicity
HBP can affect anyone. However, it occurs more often in African American adults than in Caucasian or Hispanic American adults. In relation to these groups, African Americans:

Tend to get HBP earlier in life
Often have more severe HBP
Are more likely to be aware that they have HBP and to get treatment
Are less likely than Caucasians and about as likely as Hispanic Americans to achieve target control levels with HBP treatment
Have higher rates than Caucasians of premature death from HBP-related complications, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure
HBP risks vary among different groups of Hispanic American adults. For instance, Puerto Rican American adults have higher rates of HBP-related death than all other Hispanic groups and Caucasians. But, Cuban Americans have lower rates than Caucasians.

Overweight or Obesity
You’re more likely to develop prehypertension or HBP if you’re overweight or obese. Overweight is having extra body weight from muscle, bone, fat, and/or water. Obesity is having a high amount of extra body fat.

Gender
Fewer adult women than men have HBP. But, younger women (aged 18–59) are more likely than men to be aware of and get treatment for HBP.

Women aged 60 and older are as likely as men to be aware of and treated for HBP. However, among treated women aged 60 and older, blood pressure control is lower than it is in men in the same age group.

Unhealthy Lifestyle Habits
A number of lifestyle habits can raise your risk for HBP, including:

Eating too much sodium (salt)
Drinking too much alcohol
Not getting enough potassium in your diet
Not doing enough physical activity
Smoking
Other Risk Factors
A family history of HBP raises your risk for the condition. Long-lasting stress also can put you at risk for HBP.

You’re also more likely to develop HBP if you have prehypertension. Prehypertension means that your blood pressure is in the 120–139/80–89 mmHg range.

Risk Factors for Children and Teens
Overweight is on the rise in youth younger than 18 years. As a result, prehypertension and HBP also are becoming more common in this age group.

African American and Mexican American youth are more likely to have HBP and prehypertension than Caucasian youth. Also, boys are at higher risk for HBP than girls.

Like adults, children and teens need to have routine blood pressure checks. This is even more important if a young person is overweight.

Answered by sanjay , an ibibo Guru, at 1:53 PM on September 05, 2008

obese , diabetic , renal patients are risk of HYPERTENSION

Answered by Moksha G , an ibibo Master, at 10:18 PM on September 04, 2008

Risk factors for high blood pressure include:

A family history of high blood pressure.

Aging.

Eating a lot of sodium (salt).

Drinking more than 2 alcohol drinks a day for men or more than 1 alcohol drink a day for women.

Being overweight or obese.

Lack of exercise or physical activity.

High cholesterol.

Race. People of African, South Asian, and First Nations heritage are more likely to develop high blood pressure, often have more severe high blood pressure, and are more likely to develop the condition at an earlier age than others. Why they are at greater risk is not known.
Other possible risk factors include:

Low intake of potassium, magnesium, and calcium.

Sleep apnea and sleep-disordered breathing.

Depression.

L ong-term use of pain medicines like NSAIDs—for example, naproxen (such as Naprosyn) or ibuprofen (such as Motrin or Advil)—or COX-2 inhibitors, such as celecoxib (Celebrex).

SOURCE SITE :http://www.bchealthguide.org/ kbase/topic/special/hw62787/se c7.htm

Answered by Sanya Tahir , an ibibo Master, at 9:10 PM on September 04, 2008

List of Risk Factors for Hypertension

The list of risk factors mentioned for Hypertension in various sources includes:
Obesity
Overweight
Diabetes
Age
Race - African Americans have a higher risk than Caucasians.
Family history of high blood pressure
High-normal blood pressure
High salt diet
High saturated fat diet
Lack of exercise
Poor physical fitness
Alcohol
Alcoholism
Stress
Inactivity

Answered by Vinay Kiran , an ibibo Specialist, at 5:17 PM on September 04, 2008

well, Certain traits, conditions, or habits are known to raise the risk for HBP. These conditions are called risk factors. This section describes the major risk factors for HBP.
Older Age

Blood pressure tends to rise with age. If you’re a male older than 45 or a female older than 55, your risk for HBP is higher. Over half of all Americans aged 60 and older have HBP.

Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) is the most common form of HBP in older adults. ISH occurs when only systolic blood pressure (the top number) is high. About 2 out of 3 people over age 60 who have HBP have ISH.

Race/Ethnicity

HBP can affect anyone. However, it occurs more often in African American adults than in Caucasian or Hispanic American adults. In relation to these groups, African Americans:

* Tend to get HBP earlier in life
* Often have more severe HBP
* Are more likely to be aware that they have HBP and to get treatment
* Are less likely than Caucasians and about as likely as Hispanic Americans to achieve target control levels with HBP treatment
* Have higher rates than Caucasians of premature death from HBP-related complications, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure

HBP risks vary among different groups of Hispanic American adults. For instance, Puerto Rican American adults have higher rates of HBP-related death than all other Hispanic groups and Caucasians. But, Cuban Americans have lower rates than Caucasians.

Enter your blood pressure numbers to:

*
Understand your health risks
*
Get quick answers to common questions about blood pressure
*
Learn how lifestyle changes can lower blood pressure and your health risks
*
Get a printout to use at your next doctor's appointment.

Note: You'll need your current blood pressure numbers to effectively use this tool. If you don't know your numbers, please have your blood pressure checked by your healthcare professional, use a home blood pressure monitoring device or see your local pharmacist. You can enter a sample blood pressure reading to see how the tool works.

For more: http://www.americanheart.org/p resenter.jhtml?identifier=3027 275

Answered by Satya ~ , an ibibo Master, at 12:38 PM on September 04, 2008

well,In the United States, about 72 million people have high blood pressure (HBP). This is about 1 in 3 adults.

Certain traits, conditions, or habits are known to raise the risk for HBP. These conditions are called risk factors. This section describes the major risk factors for HBP.
Older Age

Blood pressure tends to rise with age. If you’re a male older than 45 or a female older than 55, your risk for HBP is higher. Over half of all Americans aged 60 and older have HBP.

Isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) is the most common form of HBP in older adults. ISH occurs when only systolic blood pressure (the top number) is high. About 2 out of 3 people over age 60 who have HBP have ISH.

HBP doesn’t have to be a routine part of aging. You can take steps to keep your blood pressure at a normal level. (For more information, see “How Is High Blood Pressure Treated?”)
Race/Ethnicity

HBP can affect anyone. However, it occurs more often in African American adults than in Caucasian or Hispanic American adults. In relation to these groups, African Americans:

* Tend to get HBP earlier in life
* Often have more severe HBP
* Are more likely to be aware that they have HBP and to get treatment
* Are less likely than Caucasians and about as likely as Hispanic Americans to achieve target control levels with HBP treatment
* Have higher rates than Caucasians of premature death from HBP-related complications, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure

HBP risks vary among different groups of Hispanic American adults. For instance, Puerto Rican American adults have higher rates of HBP-related death than all other Hispanic groups and Caucasians. But, Cuban Americans have lower rates than Caucasians.
Overweight or Obesity

You’re more likely to develop prehypertension or HBP if you’re overweight or obese. Overweight is having extra body weight from muscle, bone, fat, and/or water. Obesity is having a high amount of extra body fat.
Gender

Fewer adult women than men have HBP. But, younger women (aged 18–59) are more likely than men to be aware of and get treatment for HBP.

Women aged 60 and older are as likely as men to be aware of and treated for HBP. However, among treated women aged 60 and older, blood pressure control is lower than it is in men in the same age group.
Unhealthy Lifestyle Habits

A number of lifestyle habits can raise your risk for HBP, including:

* Eating too much sodium (salt)
* Drinking too much alcohol
* Not getting enough potassium in your diet
* Not doing enough physical activity
* Smoking

Other Risk Factors

A family history of HBP raises your risk for the condition. Long-lasting stress also can put you at risk for HBP.

You’re also more likely to develop HBP if you have prehypertension. Prehypertension means that your blood pressure is in the 120–139/80–89 mmHg range.
Risk Factors for Children and Teens

Overweight is on the rise in youth younger than 18 years. As a result, prehypertension and HBP also are becoming more common in this age group.

African American and Mexican American youth are more likely to have HBP and prehypertension than Caucasian youth. Also, boys are at higher risk for HBP than girls.

Like adults, children and teens need to have routine blood pressure checks. This is even more important if a young person is overweight.
source:www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hea lth/dci/Diseases/Hbp/HBP_WhoIs AtRisk.html

Answered by Debashis , an ibibo Master, at 12:20 PM on September 04, 2008