Age: The older a person is, the greater the likelihood that he or she will develop high blood pressure, especially elevated systolic readings. This is largely due to arteriosclerosis, or "hardening of the arteries."
Race
Socioeconomic status: High blood pressure is found more commonly among the less educated and lower socioeconomic groups.
Family history (heredity): The tendency to have high blood pressure appears to run in families.
Gender: Generally men have a greater likelihood of developing high blood pressure than women. This likelihood varies according to age and among various ethnic groups.
Factors that can be changed
Obesity: As body weight increases, the blood pressure rises.
Obese people are two to six times more likely to develop high blood pressure than people whose weight is within a healthy range.
Not only the degree of obesity is important, but also the manner in which the body accumulates extra fat. Some people gain weight around their belly (central obesity or "apple-shaped" people), while others store fat around their hips and thighs ("pear-shaped" people). "Apple-shaped" people tend to have greater health risks for high blood pressure than "pear-shaped" people.
Sodium (salt) sensitivity: Some people have high sensitivity to sodium (salt), and their blood pressure increases if they use salt. Reducing sodium intake tends to lower their blood pressure.
Alcohol use: Drinking more than one to two drinks of alcohol per day tends to raise blood pressure in those who are sensitive to alcohol.
Birth control pills (oral contraceptive use): Some women who take birth control pills develop high blood pressure.
Lack of exercise (physical inactivity): A sedentary lifestyle contributes to the development of obesity and high blood pressure.
Medications: Certain drugs, such as amphetamines (stimulants), diet pills, and some medications used for cold and allergy symptoms such as pseudoephedrine, tend to raise blood pressure.
In almost 90% of people, the cause for high blood pressure is not known, hence it is termed as ‘essential hypertension’. In the rest, the hypertension is a secondary symptom occurring due to a problem in some other organ such as kidneys.
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