The main causes of hypertension can be identified from the perspective point of view of the two major forms of high blood pressure. These major types of high blood pressure include
* ESSENTIAL (PRIMARY) HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
Essential high blood pressure is far more common and accounts for 95% of hypertension. A combination of factors has been identified as the major cause of this form of hypertension. That is factors whose combined effects produce hypertension.
* SECONDARY HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
This accounts for 5% of hypertension. This form of hypertension has an underlying cause. It is usually caused by a specific abnormality in one of the organs or systems of the body.Sometimes, secondary hypertension may be as a result of the medication a patient is taking.
The risk factors analysed below has been identified and regarded as causes of essential high blood pressure.
- ALCOHOL INTAKE : Medical research has shown that people who take alcohol regularly and those who often drank in excess have a higher or elevated systolic blood pressure compared to people who does not.
- PHYSICAL INACTIVITY : A sedentary lifestyle, a state of inactivity and lack of exercises may lead to a high blood pressure.
- SMOKING :Smoking tend to cause the narrowing of blood vessels. As a result blood pressure increases. Smoking also decreases the percentage of oxygen in the blood. Hence the heart is forced to pump blood faster in-order to compensate for the shortfall.
- HIGH SALT INTAKE:Scientific research has shown that a high intake of salt can easily make an individual become highly susceptible to a high blood pressure. The lower the salt intake, the lower the blood pressure.
- ETHNIC BACKGROUND: The origin of an individual may be an important indicator of the probability of such an individual developing a high blood pressure. Scientific evidence has shown that people with African and/or South Asian ancestry have a higher risk of developing hypertension compared to people with predominantly Caucasian or Amerindian (indigenes of Americas) ancestries.
- GENDER: Generally more men tend to develop a high blood pressure when compared with women of the same age group. This fact or trend is particularly noticeable in men and women below the age of 60years. After the age of 60 years, this gender difference or tendency to developing high blood pressure becomes less noticeable.
- OBESITY/OVERWEIGHT:An individual is described as been obese when he or she has excess or an extra amount of body fat. While an individual with excess body mass resulting from the weight of muscles, bones, fat and water is described as been overweight. Both overweight and obese people have a high tendency to develop high blood pressure compared to people of normal weight.
- AGEING: As a result of physiological and biochemical changes taking place in the body due to ageing, aged people have a higher tendency to develop high blood pressure compared to the younger ones. The older, the higher the tendency to develop a high blood pressure.
- MENTAL STRESS AND WORRIES: Mental stress resulting from negative environmental pressure may lead to a high blood pressure. Likewise, worries, a state of being upset and nervousness may also lead to a high blood pressure. Generally, when stress is not properly managed for a prolong period of time, high blood pressure may set in.
- AMBIENT TEMPERATURE: This factor is more significant in the temperate and cold regions of the world. Scientific studies has shown that systolic and diastolic blood pressure values vary across the four seasons of the year. Low blood pressure was often associated with warmer climate. Blood pressure was lower when it got warmer and rise when it got colder.
FAT IN DIET: The role of fats in your diet cannot be over-emphasised. Fats is an energy-booster as well as a source of fat soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E and K. The two major source of fats include animal fats and fats from plant sources. Animal fats are saturated fats. Hence, a diet rich in animal fats may lead to a high blood pressure. Plants however, consists of unsaturated fats. Fats sourced from plants such nuts, avocados, olive oil and omega oil from fish are good for your heart.
FAMILY HISTORY: Closely related member of your family developing hypertension is a pointer to the fact that you may also be susceptible to high blood pressure. The reason is simply because there is a high possibility of sharing almost the same genetic quality with him or her.
LOW BIRTH WEIGHT: Scientist at the Tulane center for cardiovascular health, New Orleans recently discovered that there is a significant link between weight of a child at birth and the possibility of developing hypertension later in life. This important link applies more to the white males as opposed to females and males and females of Afro-Americans.It was discovered that white males have a high tendency to develop hypertension later in life if they have a low weight at birth.
PREGNANCY: Pregnant women have a high tendency of developing high blood pressure when compared to non-pregnant women of the same age group. High blood pressure complicates about 2-3% of all pregnancies. There are different forms and presentations of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy. These include chronic hypertension, pre-eclampsia eclampsia, pre-eclampsia super-imposed on chronic hypertension and gestational hypertension.
PSORIASIS: Psoriasis is essentially an immune system condition that usually appears on the skin in the form of thick red scaly patches. A recent research carried out in the U.S has revealed that there is a link between psoriasis and high blood pressure. It has been positively demonstrated that having psoriasis might lead to the onset of high blood pressure.- DIABETES: The incidence of hypertension is common in people with diabetes. There are two types of diabetes. There is diabetes type 1 which is also known as hyperglycemia (or high blood sugar). The second type is diabetes type 2 which is caused by a combination of hyperglycemia as well as other factors such as overweight or obesity, certain medications and some cardiovascular diseases. The incidence of hypertension in people with diabetes type 1 could be corrected by an intensive administration of insulin.
