African Americans are at higher risk for contracting hypertension than Caucasians are. According to the journal Ethn. Disease Symptoms Hypertension usually has no evident symptoms. Many people can have high blood pressure for years without knowing it, and that is why it can be so dangerous. The only way a person can find out if he or she has hypertension is to have his or her blood pressure checked at least once every 2 years by a doctor or other health professional.
Hypertension can occur in children or adults.
It occurs predominantly in middle-aged and elderly people, obese people, heavy drinkers, blacks, and women who are taking oral contraceptives. Called the silent killer, there may not be any symptoms for many years until a vital organ is damaged. A person can be calm and relaxed and still have high blood pressure, even though tension or nervousness also causes hypertension. Blood pressure may rise as people get older. Males suffer from hypertension earlier than females and are more likely to develop high blood pressure than females in early adulthood into early middle age.