What Causes High Blood Pressure and
Other Reasons For High Blood Pressure
What Causes High Blood
Pressure? It's been a subject of debate for quite a while among many health
professionals.
To determine what causes high blood pressure, it is important to know that there are two types
of hypertension – essential and secondary. Essential hypertension is when the underlying cause of
hypertension cannot be determined. In the United States, 95% of hypertensive people suffer from this
kind.
The remaining 5% is classified under secondary hypertension – or when a direct cause for the high blood
pressure is identified. Usually the identified cause is a disorder of other body organs like the kidney,
adrenal gland or aortic artery. Some medications like birth control pills are also known to be one of the
reasons for high blood pressure. For each type, there are many causes attributed to it.
Dietary factors are seen to play a huge part in causing hypertension.
The intake of certain foods are seen as a major cause of high blood pressure. The amount of salt,
potassium, cholesterol and other fats are closely linked to hypertension.
In fact, researchers at Simmons College School for Health Studies in Boston and Harvard School of Public Health
conducted a study suggesting that the Western diet can contribute to developing Hypertension.
This is also true in northern Japan. People there eat more salt than anywhere else in the world and
in turn, they have the highest cases of hypertension reported. In the study conducted, people who live in
remote areas in different parts of the world have reported few – if not none at all – high blood pressure
cases.
Genes are also seen to be one of the reasons for high blood pressure. The particular
gene which is responsible for it has not yet been identified. However, hypertension tends to run in the family.
If family members have it, you run the risk of having it as well.
Being overweight can also be among what causes high blood pressure, so is one’s lifestyle. Smoking is highly
attributed to hypertension because it brings with it increased levels of sugar, alcohol and caffeine
consumption. This is due to the fact that nicotine stimulates the body’s adrenaline secretion. Other essential
hypertension causes include stress, lack of exercise, insufficient intake of magnesium, calcium and potassium
and exposure to heavy metals.
Diseases related to the kidneys are the main causes of secondary hypertension. This is also
called as Renal Hypertension. When the renal artery is constricted, it affects the circulation of the
blood. Due to blood deprivation, the kidney is prompted to release hormones which are responsible for
the increase in blood pressure.
Tumors or other diseases related to the adrenal glands also attribute to secondary hypertension as well as
birth control pills (particularly those which have estrogen) and medications which constrict the blood
vessels.
Although what causes high blood pressure in most people remains unanswered, it important to
know is that there are people who have higher chances of developing it. These include people who have
relatives diagnosed with it, are overweight or obese, smoke and drink heavily, eat too much salt or
fat, are over the age of 35 and those who take birth control pills. Some women may also experience an
increase in blood pressure when they are pregnant.
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