Who Is At Risk for High Blood Pressure?
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 1859) 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
120139/8089 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. |