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High blood pressure (hypertension)

Causes

Open all pages about High blood pressure (hypertension)

High blood pressure does not usually have any symptoms. The only way to find out if you have it is to get your blood pressure checked.

Things that increase your chances of high blood pressure include being overweight, having an unhealthy diet, smoking and not exercising enough.

Lifestyle changes like eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly can help lower high blood pressure.

Some people need to take medicines to control high blood pressure, such as ACE inhibitors, calcium channel blockers or diuretics.

High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is when the pressure in your blood vessels is unusually high. It can be serious if not treated.

Page last reviewed: 11/07/2023
Next review due: 11/07/2026