Although the cause of hypertension remains unknown, there are factors that are known to increase the chance of developing high blood pressure. If your parents have or had high blood pressure, there is a greater chance that you will also have it. African-Americans are more likely to develop high blood pressure than their white counterparts.
Men run a greater overall risk for developing high blood pressure than women do.
The older we get, the greater the risk for developing high blood pressure. People who are overweight are more likely to develop high blood pressure. Sedentary or inactive lifestyle References National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute National High Blood Pressure Education Program. The Sixth Report of the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure. NIH Publication 98-4080, November 1997.