Risk Factors for Developing Hypertension

Despite evidence that as many as four out of five Americans probably needn't worry about their salt intake, a practical problem remains. Although many people will never develop hypertension even if they eat relatively large amounts of salt all their lives, there's no way to tell in advance who they are. Nor is there any reliable means of predicting which individuals will be susceptible to hypertension. There are, however, certain risk factors that suggest which people are more likely than others to become hypertensive. A family history of hypertension is one warning signal. If either of your parents or a brother or sister has (or had) hypertension, you're about twice as likely to develop it as someone without such a history. Race is another factor. Black people are twice as likely as whites to develop hypertension. In blacks, the disease develops earlier in life, is often more severe, and is more likely to be fatal at a younger age than in whites. The hypertension rate for blacks age 25 to 34, for example, is about 19 percent, compared to about 8 percent for whites. And death rates from hypertension and hypertensive heart disease before age 50 are at least six times higher among blacks. Obesity can also influence blood pressure. About 30 percent of adult Americans are overweight. Studies show a higher prevalence of hypertension in overweight people than in lean people. Among overweight people who develop hypertension, weight loss is frequently one of the most effective ways to reduce blood pressure, often to normal levels. So counting calories may be just as important for an overweight person as watching salt intake. Age is another factor, for whites as well as blacks. In Western societies, blood pressure rises with age, and nearly half of all Americans who live to age 74 develop hypertension. Consequently, moderating salt intake may be a worthwhile precaution for older people.