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Some things make it more likely that you'll get high blood pressure. Doctors call these risk factors. You can read about the main ones below. High blood pressure can be caused by a combination of these things.

Blood pressure tends to go up as you get older. Most people under 30 have normal blood pressure, but after the age of about 35 or 40, blood pressure tends to go up.¹ More than half of all Americans aged 60 and above have high blood pressure.²

African-Americans are more likely to have high blood pressure than white or Hispanic Americans.³ They also tend to get high blood pressure sooner than other Americans, and their high blood pressure tends to be more severe.⁴ So African-Americans are more likely to die from heart disease, kidney failure and stroke.⁴

If you're overweight, you're more likely to have high blood pressure, especially if you carry this extra weight mainly on your stomach area rather than on your hips and thighs.⁵ We don't know why this is.

Doctors tend to use two measurements to work out whether you're overweight.

• Your body mass index (BMI). Your BMI relates your weight to your height. It tells you roughly how much body fat you have. If your BMI is more than 27, you have a higher risk of getting high blood pressure.⁶ You can use our calculator to work out your BMI.
• Your waist measure ment. If you're a woman and your waist is more than 34 inches, you are considered overweight. If you're a man and your waist is more than 39 inches, you are considered overweight.

If you don't get regular exercise, your chances of getting high blood pressure are much higher than for someone who is active and fit.⁷

Here's what we know about how what you eat and drink is linked to blood pressure.

• A balanced diet that is rich in fruit and vegetables and low i n saturated fat is linked with lower blood pressure. (Saturated fats are fats that are usually solid at room temperature. They're mostly found in butter, cream, cheese, meat and other animal products.)
• If you have more than two alcoholic drinks a day, you are up to twice as likely to get high blood pressure as someone who doesn't drink.⁸
• But there is some evidence that drinking one or two alcoholic drinks a day may protect you against heart disease even if you have high blood pressure.
• Eating too much salt is linked to high blood pressure, but the evidence on this is mixed. Salt seems to be more dangerous for some groups of people. For example, older people and people with high blood pressure or diabetes are more likely to be affected by how much salt they eat.
• Your blood pressure may rise when you drink coffee, but there is no evidence that it has a lasting effect.

Smoking can raise your blood pressure by as much as 10 points on the blood pressure scale. To find out more, see What the numbers tell you.

There is some evidence that being in a very stressful situation can push up your blood pressure for a short time. But doctors aren't sure that feeling stressed has a lasting effect on your blood pressure.⁹

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.