b'Who Becomes Hypertensive?High blood pressure doesnt discriminate. It affects every social class, every race, and every age. However, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, certain groups are especially vulnerable to developing hypertension. nAfrican Americans nMen over the age of 45 and women over age 55nPeople with a family history of hypertensionPregnant women (known as gestational hypertension)n nThose living at or near the poverty line Controllable Risk Factors While there are some risk factors you cant do anything about, like your age, race, or gender, other factors related to your lifestyle can be modified. These include: BEING OVERWEIGHT:An estimated 73 percent of Americans are overweight or obese. This expanding national girth has led to burgeoning rates of hypertension, as well as insulin resistance and chronic kidney disease. Sadly, this trend shows no signs of abating.CHRONIC STRESS:Stress seems to be a constant companion to modern life. Its everything, everywhere, all at once. Regardless of what triggers your stress, your body responds by generating a surge of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol increases glucose in the bloodstream, enhances your brains use of glucose and increases the availability of substances that repair tissues. But cortisol also curbs functions that would be nonessential or harmful in a fight-or-flight situation. It alters immune system responses and suppresses the digestive system, the reproductive system, and growth processes. These changes arent a problem if stress is temporary. But long-term activation of the stress response and a chronic overexposure to cortisol can disrupt almost all your bodys processes, including blood pressure. In a study of more than 400 adults with normal blood pressure, those who had high levels of stress hormones detected in their urine were more likely to develop high blood pressure over the next six to seven years. Whats more, higher levels of cortisol were linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular events, including heart attack and stroke.METABOLIC SYNDROME:Metabolic syndrome refers to a cluster of conditions that includes obesity, high blood pressure, elevated triglyceride levels, high LDL (bad) cholesterol, and low HDL (good) cholesterol. Individuals who are sedentary and overweight have twice the risk of developing high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome.SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE:Being inactive increases your risk for high blood pressure by up to 50 percent, regardless of age. Recent studies show that the more time you spend sitting, the higher your risk of developing hypertension.SMOKING AND VAPING:Smoking triggers the sympathetic nervous system, causing an acute rise in heart rate and blood pressure. Its also been found to contribute to long-term hypertension. There is also evidence linking vaping to high blood pressure. One 2018 study found that e-cigarettes caused a significant rise in blood pressure immediately after use in people with hypertension. BLO OD PRESSURE HEALTH5'