When the arteries thicken and get hard, the pressure against the walls increases and causes the pressure to rise. Left untreated, high blood pressure can result in serious illnesses such as coronary artery disease, stroke, heart attack and kidney failure. There are risk factors for high blood pressure that cannot be controlled, such as heredity, gender, age and race. Keep your weight down. Even carrying an extra 10 pounds will increase blood pressure.
Studies prove that blood pressure decreases as weight is lost.
Learn to relax and take stress breaks. Regular exercise tones the heart muscles as well as the other muscles in the body. Only drink alcohol in moderation. Limit salt intake. Take blood pressure medicine faithfully.