Asked by
atul mishra
in
Personal Health
at
11:13 AM on July 24, 2008
KHURSHEED's Answer
High blood pressure has many risk factors. Some you can't control.
* Age. The risk of high blood pressure increases as you get older. Through early middle age, high blood pressure is more common in men. Women are more likely to develop high blood pressure after menopause.
* Race. High blood pressure is particularly common among blacks, often developing at an earlier age than it does in whites. Serious complications, such as stroke and heart attack, also are more common in blacks.
* Family history. High blood pressure tends to run in families.
Other risk factors for high blood pressure are within your control.
* Excess weight. The greater your body mass, the more blood you need to supply oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. As the volume of blood circulated through your blood vessels increases, so does the pressure on your artery walls.
* Inactivity. People who are inactive tend to have higher heart rates. The higher your heart rate, the harder your heart must work with each contraction — and the stronger the force on your arteries. Lack of physical activity also increases the risk of being overweight.
* Tobacco use. The chemicals in tobacco can damage the lining of your artery walls, which promotes narrowing of the arteries.
* Sodium intake. Too much sodium in your diet — especially if you have sodium sensitivity — can lead to fluid retention and increased blood pressure.
* Low potassium intake. Potassium helps balance the amount of sodium in your cells. If you don't consume or retain enough potassium, you may accumulate too much sodium in your blood.
* Excessive alcohol. Over time, heavy drinking can damage your heart.
* Stress. High levels of stress can lead to a temporary but dramatic increase in blood pressure. If you try to relax by eating more, using tobacco or drinking alcohol, you may only fuel problems with high blood pressure.
Answered at
8:02 PM on July 25, 2008
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