Top 7 Causes of High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure or hypertension happens when blood pressure elevates significantly. Blood pressure is composed of two main components; the amount of blood passing through blood vessels and the resistance that blood faces while moving through blood vessels. Here are the top 7 causes of high blood pressure.

7. Genetics

This is the most common cause of primary hypertension. If both your parents have hypertension or you have a h3 family history of hypertension in your family, you will probably be hypertensive. It is hereditary and you may pass it to your kids too. (1, 2)

6. Obesity

High blood pressure is common among overweight and obese people. More blood is needed to supply your tissues with nutrients and oxygen, which means increasing the volume of the blood passing through your blood vessels leading to increasing pressure on the walls of your arteries. (3, 4, 5)

5. Being Physically Inactive

Inactive people have higher heart rates than active people. Having a high heart rate means that your heart works harder to provide your body with blood and nutrients. It also means more pressure on your blood vessels. In addition, low physical activity is associated with being obese. (6, 7)

4. Smoking / Chewing Tobacco

Smoking and chewing tobacco elevate your blood pressure immediately. While smoking, you can notice the elevation if you measured your blood pressure. In addition, tobacco chemicals damage the lining of your blood vessels narrowing them and leading to heart problems. (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)

3. Diet

Too much salt in your diet leads to fluid retention in your body, which elevates your blood pressure. In addition, too little potassium leads to elevating sodium in your body. Potassium is essential for balancing sodium. (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)

2. Alcohol

Consuming alcohol in large amounts may damage your heart. You should drink moderately to avoid causing severe damages to your blood vessels. Women should have a drink per day while men can consume two drinks per day to avoid alcohol-inducing hypertension. (25, 26, 27)

1. Stress

Stressful and sedentary lifestyle are among the most common causes of high blood pressure nowadays. We even have unhealthy ways to relieve this stress such as smoking, eating heavy meals, and drinking alcohol. (28, 29, 30, 31)