Causes of Hypertension - Discover How to Avoid the Classic Causes of Hypertension

Causes of hypertension and our knowledge of them can help us to avoid this silent killer, responsible for tens of millions of premature deaths each year around the world. In this article, I'll tackle the most common ones so you are better armed to resist this common condition.

Sodium Levels

This is a biggie. If you eat too much salt every day then you are virtually guaranteed to have hypertension. Now this doesn't mean that you must cut salt out of your diet. In fact, human beings need salt to work effectively.

the thing is, salt is already added in our takeaway good and in packaged foods. So try not to add too much to any of your own meals that you make from scratch. And when you dine out, just tell the waiter to tell the chef that you have high blood pressure and must restrict your salt intake on "doctors orders". No chef worth his salt (no pun intended!) will deny such a request.

Age

The older you are then the more likely you are to get hypertension. This is because the arteries harden and narrow over time as part of the aging process. Obviously, you cannot reduce your age. But what you can do is to keep an eye on your blood pressure as you get older. Just because you had normal blood pressure at age 30 does not mean that you still do at age 40.

Weight

The more excess weight you carry then the more likely you are to have hypertension. This is for many reasons e.g. more pressure on the kidneys.

The good news is that even losing five pounds can radically reduce your blood pressure. Would five pounds really be that difficult to lose? Think about the how much longer you'll live in return for those measly 5 pounds.

Genetics

Some people are unfortunately just genetically predisposed to getting hypertension. If there is a history of hypertension in your family then this may include you. It seems that there are a whole load of genes responsible so scientists have not been able to develop gene therapy, at least not yet.

If this is you then you may want to consider both natural methods and drugs - whatever it takes to get your blood pressure down.

Interesting article on the subject cinnamon and high blood pressure