
Having obesity or overweight also means your heart must work harder to pump blood and oxygen around your body.

Having obesity is having excess body fat. Regular physical activity can also help you keep a healthy weight, which may also help lower your blood pressure. Getting regular physical activity helps your heart and blood vessels stay strong and healthy, which may help lower your blood pressure. Potassium is found in many foods bananas, potatoes, beans, and yogurt have high levels of potassium. Not eating enough potassium -a mineral that your body needs to work properly-also can increase blood pressure. Learn more about sodium and high blood pressure. Most of the sodium we eat comes from processed and restaurant foods. Unhealthy DietĪ diet that is too high in sodium and too low in potassium puts you at risk for high blood pressure.Įating too much sodium-an element in table salt-increases blood pressure. The good news is that healthy behaviors can lower your risk for high blood pressure. To reduce your risk, your doctor may recommend changes to your lifestyle. Your lifestyle choices can increase your risk for high blood pressure. What behaviors increase risk for high blood pressure? Talk with your doctor about ways to manage diabetes and control other risk factors. 1 Diabetes causes sugars to build up in the blood and also increases the risk for heart disease. DiabetesĪbout 6 out of 10 of people who have diabetes also have high blood pressure. You can take steps to manage your blood pressure and keep it in a healthy range. Learn more about how blood pressure is measured. If your blood pressure is between 120/80 mmHg and 129/80 mmHg, you have elevated blood pressure. Having blood pressure that is slightly higher than normal increases your risk for developing chronic, or long-lasting, high blood pressure in the future.

High blood pressure usually develops over time. Elevated Blood PressureĮlevated blood pressure is blood pressure that is slightly higher than normal. If you have one of these conditions, you can take steps to manage it and lower your risk for high blood pressure. Some medical conditions can raise your risk for high blood pressure. What are conditions that increase my risk for high blood pressure? But you can take steps to lower your risk by changing the factors you can control. Some of the risk factors for high blood pressure cannot be controlled, such as your age or family history. Risk factors that can increase your risk of high blood pressure include health conditions, your lifestyle, and your family history. Some medical conditions can raise your risk for high blood pressure, but you can take steps to lower your risk by changing the factors you can control.
