Even borderline hypertension can contribute to damage of the heart and blood vessels and increase the risk of heart attack. A. Blood pressure is the amount of force blood exerts against artery walls as it flows through them. A. Ninety percent of the time, the cause of high blood pressure cannot be determined. The remaining 10 percent of cases are caused by such conditions as kidney disease and tumors. A. Risk factors for high blood pressure fall into two categories, those you can control and those you can't.
Risk increases with age.
Most people with high blood pressure have no symptoms. The only way you can tell if blood pressure is high is to have it checked. Since hypertension usually has no symptoms, it's best to have your blood pressure checked once a year by a health professional. A. Blood pressure is easily measured by a pressure cuff, gauge, and stethoscope, or by a computerized instrument. Also, the American Red Cross or your health care provider can teach you the proper way to measure your blood pressure with a home test kit.