Know Your Risk for High Blood Pressure

If you're concerned about high blood pressure, it's important to know factors that put you at greater risk.

The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute says high blood pressure risk factors include:

• Growing older. Of people aged 60 and up, about 65 percent have high blood pressure.
• Being black.
• Being overweight or obese.
• Being young and male. Young men are more likely than women to have high blood pressure before age 45.
• Eating an unhealthy diet, being sedentary or smoking.
• Having chronic stress.
• Having a family history of high blood pressure.