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Non-Modifiable Risk Factors
- Age: As we age our risk of high BP increases. This is due to changes in the heart and blood vessels, whereby there is a loss of elasticity in the tissues found in our arteries. This loss of elasticity results in stiffening and a reduced ability to stretch, leading to increased BP.
- Genetics/Family History: Genetic predisposition plays a role in diseases like diabetes, hypertension, breast cancer, and some heart diseases. Family history can guide early screening (Peltzer et al., 2024)
- Gender: Some diseases are more common in one gender; for example, breast cancer is predominant in women, and prostate cancer in men.
- Ethnicity: People of African and Black Caribbean descent have an increase in the risk of high BP . This is said to be down to genetic predisposition that increases sensitivity to salt in the diet by as little as 1 gram of extra salt per day can increase systolic BP, the pressure exerted on blood vessels when the heart contracts, by as little as much as 5mmHg; the unit of measurement that used when determining BP.
