Controllable Risk Factors

Weight - Being overweight increases your risk of developing high blood pressure. In fact, blood pressure rises as body weight increases. Losing even 10 pounds can lower blood pressure.

Smoking - Each time you smoke a cigarette, your blood pressure rises. Nicotine causes a narrowing in small blood vessels, making blood flow more difficult. Smoking increases your risk of coronary heart disease.

Activity - Exercise strengthens your heart, lungs and muscles, relieves stress and helps lower blood pressure.

Healthy eating - Research has shown that following a healthy eating plan can both reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure and lower an already elevated blood pressure.

Stress - Stress can make blood pressure go up temporarily, and it may contribute hypertension. But its long-term effects are not clear. Stress management techniques do not seem to prevent high blood pressure. However, these techniques may help you feel better or help you control overeating.

Salt - Most people consume much more salt and sodium than they need. The current recommendation is to consume less than 1 teaspoon of salt a day. That includes all salt and sodium--containing cooking agents such as monosodium glutamate, baking powder and baking soda.

Alcohol - Drinking too much alcohol can raise blood pressure and harm your liver, brain and heart. Alcoholic drinks also have calories. If you are a woman who drinks alcoholic beverages, have only one drink a day; if you are a man, have only two drinks a day.

Oral contraceptives - Women taking oral contraceptives have a small increase in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure; usually these are still in the normal range. Women who also smoke and are over age 35 have a greater risk for stroke and heart disease. If you are a woman over 35 and you smoke and use oral contraceptives, see your health care provider about using other forms of contraception.