High Blood Pressure

Do you remember briefly discussing high blood pressure in Robert's example earlier in this lesson and lt. You know that it is caused by increased pressure on artery walls. High blood pressure often is called the silent killer because many people don't even know they have it. This disease claims many lives in the United States each year. Some factors that put one at risk for high blood pressure are not within a person's control. These include age, race, heredity, and gender. Risk factors that can be controlled include obesity, alcohol use, sodium intake, oral contraceptive use, stress, and physical inactivity      . High blood pressure puts people at risk for heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure. Medication often is used to control high blood pressure, but people also can lower blood pressure through lifestyle adjustments, just as Robert did.