In order for you to comprehend the causes of high blood pressure, I think it’s just as important for you to know what high blood pressure is.  In the United States alone, one in three adults suffers from high blood pressure.  Also known as Hypertension, the American Heart Association reports that most of these individuals have no idea that they have the disease.  Hypertension is the silent killer as people can go for years undiagnosed.

A person with Hypertension may not experience any type of symptoms. Needless to say, however, the disease is extremely dangerous as it affects many dimensions of the body.  The disease can potentially be life threatening if not treated properly.  Although scientist has developed drug and non medicated treatment, they aren’t especially confident about what causes high blood pressure.

Eventually, the scientist established that there is a primary (essential) and secondary (caused by) hypertension.  Basically, high blood pressure is the result of arteriosclerosis or hardening of the arteries, thickening or hypertrophy of the artery wall and excess contraction of the arterioles (small arteries).  The secondary is possibly caused by kidney abnormality, tumor of the adrenal gland or congenital defect of the aorta.

Primary hypertension is very common; accounting for 95 percent of the diagnosed cases.  Accounting for only 5 percent of hypertension cases, the secondary hypertension is triggered as a result of some other abnormality.  Several factors have been identified to determine the causes for high blood pressure.  These contributing factors are essentially based on groups and societies of people or genetics. Coincidently, Hypertension is found mostly in African American people, more so than any other culture.

For people like you and me, what does this all mean?  Simply stated, the causes of high blood pressure are a result of living an unhealthy lifestyle.  For instance, excess weight contributes to high blood pressure.  Extreme body mass induces excess pressure on your artery walls.  Another cause for high blood pressure that we can control is the lack of daily physical activity.

We must exercise to allow our hearts to work harder; increase the heart rate.  Other contributing causes of high blood pressure are tobacco and alcohol use, stress, age and low potassium intake.  It is important that we live a healthy lifestyle daily.  This could have a significant impact in regards to developing this crippling disease known as the silent killer.