There are several factors that put people at risk for hypertension. Gender, age, heredity, and race are factors that cannot be controlled. As people age, their chances of developing hypertension increase. Men are generally at greater risk than women. However, as women age, their risk increases with the onset of menopause, and later in life it exceeds that of men.
Heredity can be a risk factor if one or more parents have been diagnosed with hypertension.
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.