The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute reports that if you don’t have hypertension, which is also known as high blood pressure, by the time you’re 55, then you have a 90% chance of developing it after. The American Heart Association adds that in 90-95% of all cases, there is no definitive cause. In the other portion of cases, high blood pressure and high cholesterol comes as a result of another condition like gout, kidney abnormalities, congenital heart defects or tumors. If you’re one of the many Americans with high blood pressure, then there’s no need to panic. Your doctor has some simple tricks to lowering the strain on your heart and arteries!

If you are hypertensive, then it can be caused by many lifestyle choices. For instance, a 2005 study found that women who took 500 mg of Tylenol each day for headaches or pains were more likely to develop high blood pressure than women who did not. Users of cocaine and amphetamines, as well as smokers, were also more at risk.

High body fat, high salt intake, low potassium intake, high cholesterol levels, inactivity, excessive alcohol consumption and high stress are often linked to hypertension as well. Health experts say that this condition isn’t so cut-and-dry, that poor lifestyle choices aren’t always the culprit. Some people are just at risk because they’re aging, pregnant or born into a family with a history of high blood pressure.

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