FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO PRIMARY HYPERTENSION RISK
A number of factors contribute to boring old primary hypertension. Some of these factors, such as age and genetics, are out of your control. But many of them aren’t. Although a healthy way of life may not always eliminate high blood pressure , it almost always makes a difference. In fact, the small choices you make every day often mean the difference between taking one prescription drug versus two or three. When you factor in the costs and potential side effects of medication, the payoff is huge. The following sections take a closer look at the main risk factors for hypertension. · Diet. The food you eat is both fuel and medicine for your body. And though your body is remarkably good at turning just about any raw material into energy, it functions better when you put good fuel in it. A diet that’s loaded with saturated fat from red meat and high-fat dairy, fried foods, and high-sodium processed snacks and is low on fruits an...