What is high blood pressure?
High blood pressure, also called hypertension, happens when the force of blood against the artery walls stays too high over time. This condition makes the heart work harder to pump blood through the body. If not managed, it can raise the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and kidney problems.
"With hypertension many people don't feel any symptoms at all," says Jenny S. Choi, APRN, MSN, FNP-C, part of the Family Medicine team at ARC Hutto. "That's why regular check-ups with your primary care team are so important for early diagnosis."
What are the common risk factors for high blood pressure?
Several factors can lead to elevated blood pressure:
- Diabetes: High blood sugar can damage blood vessels and increase the risk of hypertension.
- Drug use: Certain drugs can raise heart rate and blood pressure.
- Family history: If relatives have hypertension, your risk is higher.
- Kidney disease: The kidneys help control blood pressure. If they don't work well, blood pressure can rise.
- Obesity: Carrying extra weight strains the heart and may raise cholesterol levels.
- Pregnancy: Some women develop high blood pressure during pregnancy.
- Sedentary lifestyle: Low activity levels and little exercise can increase your risk.
- Stress and anxiety: Ongoing stress and anxiety may raise blood pressure over time.
- Unhealthy diet: Eating too much salt, sugar, or unhealthy fats can raise cholesterol and increase disease risk.
Learn more about high blood pressure.
"The good news is that small steps—like adding more daily activity, improving your diet, or learning stress-reducing habits—can really lower your risk over time," says Jenny. "Think of your doctor or advanced practice clinician (APC) as your partner in health. Together we can protect your heart and lower your risk for serious conditions like cardiovascular disease."
Make an appointment today
Jenny is accepting new patients ages 11 and older at ARC Hutto. Schedule an appointment with Jenny online, through ARC MyChart, or call ARC Hutto at 512-846-1244.