Factors of risk

There are two categories of risk factors related to hypertension: the factors that a person keeps under control, and those that can be controlled.

The first category includes:

• *The racial factor. Black people are much more frequently, and at an early age affected by hypertension than white people. With high blood pressure, the risk of stroke or heart attack is much higher in the case of black people.
• * The history of the family is also important, uncontrollable risk factor. High blood pressure often appears among the members of the same family or it is commonly transmitted genetically.
• *Age. Within the process of aging, high blood pressure becomes more likely to develop around the middle age at men, and at women at menopause or post menopause, are the most exposed two categories.

The controllable risk factors are:

• * Sedentarism, which increases the predisposition to hypertension, by rates of the heart that are higher than normal. A high rate gives the heart a time to exert contractions, which over solicits the arteries. This factor often determines another one, weight in excess.
• * Excessive weight. The number of extra pounds a person has implies a proportionally increased quantity of oxygen and nutriments necessary for the tissues, which can only be delivered only by an increased amount of blood. A larger amount of blood generates a much higher pressure on the arterial walls.
• * Alcohol use and abuse seriously affect a person's heart in time.
• * Smoking is also a very important risk factor; the chemical substances present in the composition of tobacco narrow the arteries by strange damaging effect on the arterial walls.
• * Stress significantly increases the blood pressure. Some persons try to calm down by means of alcohol, cigarettes or a larger amount of food but these factors make them more exposed and can only make things worse.
• * Sodium in excess. Excessive sodium generally, and in case of sensitivity to this substance, particularly retains the fluids inside the organism and generates increased blood pressure.
• * Deficitary amount of potassium. Potassium is strongly connected to sodium inside the human body: it maintains the balance of the last one, this deficit of potassium leads to an excessive amount of sodium in most of the cases.

High blood pressure may often be generated by diseases such as sleep apnea, high cholesterol, kidney disease or diabetes, or even by pregnancy.

Although it is not very common, high blood pressure may also affect children. The most exposed to this condition are those with inappropriate alimentation or sedentary children, but it may also occur in children with abnormalities in the activity of the heart and kidneys.

Among adults, a study performed in 2006 proved persons that work more than 40 hours/week to be much more often affected by hypertension than those who work 40 hours or less per week. Unskilled workers and clerics seem to be the most at risk categories, due to their wrong alimentation, the fact that they don't sleep enough, are more exposed to stress and back exercise.

How to take care of yourself

Whether you are on treatment for hypertension or not, remember that this is a condition that can be controlled (and prevented, in some cases) by a change of habits. Some ways to change your lifestyle are:

• * Make sure your weight is kept under control. The loss of the excessive pounds gradually produces a decrease of the blood pressure.
• * Avoid sedentarism. Physical exercises and activities maintain both weight and blood pressure at safe levels. Even half an hour of physical activity can make the difference.
• * Say no to cigarettes or, in case you are a smoker, inform yourself on possible methods to give it up. It is a very unhealthy habit that severely damages blood vessels, narrows and hardens the arteries.
• * Have a proper alimentation. You may follow one of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH). This kind of diet encourages the use of vegetables, whole grains, fruits and low-fat elements and also food rich in potassium. Sodium and fats should be avoided, or, at least, seriously reduced. The daily normal "dose" of sodium for an adult is 2,400 mg, but for persons with high blood pressure, a decrease to 1,500 mg/day will radically improve their condition.
• * Stress should be avoided, because it is known to favor high blood pressure. Sleep as much as you can, use techniques of breathing and relaxation of the muscles and try not to expose yourself to unnecessary stress.
• * Try some breathing exercises, based on deep and slow breathing. In case you don't want to have device-guided breathing, you may create your own type. As a piece of advice, resperate had a dramatic, positive effect on blood pressure during trials; this over-the-counter device was approved by the Food and Drug Administration and helps to guide respiration and expiration and also analyzes the patterns of breath.
• * The use of alcohol should be radically limited and even avoided, because it significantly increases the blood pressure even in healthy people. One day drink for a woman and two for a man represent "the safe level".